Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton said: “What we have here are two teenagers who have been intercepted on their way to a potentially very dangerous situation. As a result of this interception, a Sydney family remains together. This highlights afresh the need to work within communities and with parents to disrupt attempts to brainwash our young people.”
Question for you, Mr. Dutton: what if the communities and parents are the one who are brainwashing our young people? Then what? Or is asking that question “Islamophobic”?
“Teen jihadi wannabes caught at Sydney airport by counter-terrorism squad and sent home,” by Samantha Maiden, The Sunday Telegraph, March 8, 2015 (thanks to Anne Crockett):
TWO brothers aged 15 and 16 suspected of trying to leave Australia to fight in the Middle East were detained at Sydney Airport by counter-terrorism officials before being taken home by their mum.
Amid fears that Islamic State is recruiting Aussie teenagers as “cannon fodder’’, authorities are confident they have saved the two Sydney teens from a potentially deadly adventure.
Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton revealed two teenagers were stopped on Friday night.
They had booked return tickets to an undisclosed location in the Middle East. But authorities will allege that fears were raised over their travel plans after their bags were searched.
After being detained at the airport for several hours they were allowed to return home with their parents.
Mr Dutton said the boys had aroused the suspicion of “two alert Customs and Border Protection officers” who referred them to the terrorism unit.
“What we have here are two teenagers who have been intercepted on their way to a potentially very dangerous situation,” Mr Dutton said.
“As a result of this interception, a Sydney family remains together.
“This highlights afresh the need to work within communities and with parents to disrupt attempts to brainwash our young people.
“It is yet another reminder of the need for parents to remain vigilant against this type of threat.
“This event also showcases the critical work of Australian Customs and Border Protection officers operating around the clock at our borders to prevent people travelling in this way.”
Mr Dutton said the spate of recent cases underlined the need for parliament to pass new laws to establish a new Australian border force to collect biometric data at airport and sea ports.
Last June, Sydney teenager Abdullah Elmir, 17, fled Australia with a 16-year-old friend. Elmir later resurfaced in an Islamic State propaganda video warning he would fight until the Islamic State flag was flying at Buckingham Palace and the White House.
In the video he said: “To the leaders, to Obama, to Tony Abbott I say this: these weapons that we have, these soldiers, we will not stop fighting, we will not put down our weapons until we reach your lands.’’…