Media Release
In the Name of Allah, The Gracious, The Merciful White Paper Ineptly Maintains Focus on Symptoms, not Causes, of Terrorism

Sydney, Australia, 24^th February 2010 - Kevin Rudd yesterday revealed the Australian Government's latest White Paper on Counter-Terrorism. In expressing the findings of the paper Mr. Rudd stated that the threat of terrorism was not diminishing, it had in fact become a permanent feature of Australia's security environment, with an increased threat from people born or raised in Australia.

Uthman Badar, Media Representative of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in Australia, says in this regard,

"It has taken the Government almost fifteen months to reach conclusions one can reach in fifteen minutes; conclusions that are ostensibly irrational, politicised and superficial. The White Paper continues the Government trend of focusing on the symptoms of terrorism, whilst turning a blind eye to its causes. This shows us once again that the Government values the perceived benefit accrued from its exploitative foreign policy and that of its allies, higher than it values the life and security of its citizens. Otherwise it would be serious about national security and deal with the root-causes of terrorism."

"This is a classic case of blame-shifting. Instead of accepting the repercussions of its imperial adventures in the Muslim world, the Government seeks to shift blame unto the Muslims whereby it both absolves itself and is able to continue the exploitation. This is a dangerous and untenable game."

"The acknowledgment of an increase in the threat of terrorism is equally an acknowledgment, in any rational assessment, that the so-called ‘war on terror' has failed. The claim that ‘successes' in Iraq and Afghanistan have been offset are nothing but spin. There have been no successes. The invasions have miserably failed."

"The release of this paper has also been conveniently timed to follow last week's unjust sentencing of five Sydney Muslims, just as last year's anti-terror amendments were timed to precede heavy-handed and much-dramaticised anti-terror raids. The obvious idea is to present the alleged problem in tandem with proposed solution so as to show i) that terrorism is a major issue in Australia, and ii) the Government is doing something about it. The aware observer of course is not fooled by this shameful politicisation of so crucial a matter as national security."

"We firmly re-iterate once more that for an effective treatment of the terror issue, the state-terrorism of Western governments in the Muslim world must cease, for it is the primary root cause. If this does not happen, we will continue to witness an increasing threat followed by more white papers and nonsensical government policy followed only by a higher threat. A lose-lose situation for everyone."