National security wrap
Posted By
Tracy Beattie, Hal Crichton-Standish, Daria Impiombato, Alexandra Pascoe and Albert Zhang
on July 23, 2020 @ 13:00
The beat
NSW police continue strip searches despite complaints
NSW police will continue their strip-searching practices after the results of a watchdog investigation into the lawfulness of their conduct
were published on Tuesday. The investigation was prompted by complaints
filed by several women between 2016 and 2019. The
report detailed five accounts of alleged police misconduct and concluded that issues were being addressed. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission urged police to apologise but didn’t recommend any further action against the responsible officers.
Italian police bust cash counterfeiting ring
Italy’s Carabinieri
have taken down a euro counterfeiting syndicate linked to the Camorra organised crime group, arresting 44 suspects after a three-year investigation. The counterfeiters are
believed to comprise the largest such network in the currency’s history, and it’s thought they’re responsible for more than a quarter (or €233 million) of all fake euros in circulation across Europe. The operation to disrupt the ring was coordinated by Europol experts in Italy, France and Belgium.
CT scan
Debate over banning far-right extremist groups in Australia
Shadow home affairs minister Kristina Keneally has
called on the government to proscribe far-right extremist organisations in Australia. The
UK, the
US and
Canada have already banned a number of these groups. However, some experts contend that while right-wing extremism is an increasing threat, it’s not yet serious enough to warrant such far-reaching bans. The
effectiveness of the proscription of extremist organisations has also been questioned, as it could send them underground.
Iran providing support for al-Shabaab in Somalia
According to government and military officials in Somalia, Iran has been exercising influence in the country and its neighbours by
forming ties with extremist groups. Iran reportedly provides ‘money, weapons and ammunition’ to groups such as the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, resources which have gone on to target
US and
Somali forces. It’s believed that Iran is taking a leaf out of the Russian handbook by using
proxy groups to help push the US out of the region.
Checkpoint
Customs agents used in crackdown on US protesters
US federal agents who detained a protester in an unmarked car during protests in Portland have been identified as
Customs and Border Protection personnel. The US Department of Homeland Security says CBP officers from
three ‘paramilitary-style’ units have been deployed against protesters in Portland. The department has not ruled out sending
more officers to quell continuing protests in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.
Drones used in India–China border dispute
India and China are using
drones in a reconnaissance and logistical capacity as they continue their dispute over territorial claims in Ladakh. A skirmish last month that resulted in 20 Indian army deaths and an unknown number of Chinese casualties prompted international actors, including
nine members of the US Congress, to call for an easing of tensions.
First responder
Countries race to develop Covid-19 vaccine
The World Health Organization says 166
Covid-19 candidate vaccines are being tested globally. A vaccine
developed by the University of Oxford is the current frontrunner after trials showed it spurred a successful immune response with minimal side effects. While the UK has already ordered 100 million doses of this vaccine, distributor AstraZeneca has yet to
confirm whether they will be produced at its Australian facilities.
Indigenous Americans face pandemic threat
Significant concerns have been raised about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on indigenous communities in the Americas. The western hemisphere remains the epicentre of the pandemic, with more than 70,000 confirmed cases and 2,000 deaths since 6 July among its indigenous people. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
said indigenous communities, which often lack political representation, are at a much higher risk due to socioeconomic factors and limited access to healthcare.
Tracy Beattie, Hal Crichton-Standish, Daria Impiombato, Alexandra Pascoe and Albert Zhang are research interns at ASPI. Image: Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP/Getty Images.
Article printed from The Strategist: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au
URL to article: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/national-security-wrap-211/
[1] were published: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/watchdog-recommends-nsw-police-apologise-to-woman-strip-searched-at-festival-20200721-p55e4n.html
[2] filed: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/06/revealed-nsw-police-strip-searched-more-than-100-girls-including-12-year-olds
[3] report: https://www.lecc.nsw.gov.au/news-and-publications/publications/strike-force-blackford-s138-report-july-2020.pdf
[4] have taken down: https://www.9news.com.au/world/italian-police-break-up-mafia-linked-euro-banknote-counterfeit-ring/132685e4-3b53-4ad5-8bac-ae880fd2706b
[5] believed to comprise: http://europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/possibly-largest-ever-bust-of-banknote-counterfeiters-in-history-of-euro
[6] called on: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/covid-19-is-just-one-of-the-invisible-enemies-australia-must-face/
[7] UK: https://www.ft.com/content/2e365b6c-572c-11ea-a528-dd0f971febbc
[8] US: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/us/politics/terrorist-label-white-supremacy-Russian-Imperial-Movement.html
[9] Canada: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-canada-has-taken-an-important-step-in-the-fight-against-right-wing/
[10] effectiveness: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/opinions-divided-on-whether-australia-could-effectively-ban-extremist-far-right-organisations
[11] forming ties: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/07/17/iran-aiding-al-shabab-somalia-united-states/
[12] US: https://theconversation.com/al-shabaabs-attacks-come-amid-backdrop-of-wests-waning-interest-129706
[13] Somali: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/somalia-al-shabab-fighters-attack-military-bases-200219110346352.html
[14] proxy: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/09/mark-milley-russia-taliban-us-soldier-bounties
[15] Customs and Border Protection: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-admin-defends-federal-agents-portland-protest-crackdown/story?id=71901979
[16] three ‘paramilitary-style’ units: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-protests-agents/us-homeland-security-confirms-three-units-sent-paramilitary-officers-to-portland-idUSKCN24M2RL
[17] more officers: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/officers-from-three-paramilitary-style-units-sent-to-portland-to-join-crackdown-on-protests
[18] drones: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3093806/china-india-border-dispute-drones-prove-their-worth-high
[19] nine members of the US Congress: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/us-lawmakers-introduce-resolution-urging-china-to-de-escalate-tension-with-india/articleshow/77062771.cms
[20] Covid-19 candidate vaccines: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines
[21] developed: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53469839
[22] confirm: https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/australia-s-role-unclear-as-manufacturers-race-to-make-oxford-covid-19-vaccine-20200721-p55e19.html
[23] Significant concerns: https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/accessibility/508130-who-warns-indigenous-communities-especially-at-risk
[24] said: https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---20-july-2020