Why has Australia NOW raised its terrorism threat level to 'probable'?

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Australia's terrorism threat level has been escalated from 'possible' to 'probable', marking the first such increase since 2014.

🚨 Australia raises terror threat level to 'probable'

Make no mistake: they will use this to justify gaining more powers. However, these powers will not be used against the extremists who have held our cities hostage since October 7. Instead, they will be used to target those… pic.twitter.com/zoz0wr0fJ5

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) August 5, 2024

ASIO claims the heightened alert stems from a growing risk of 'politically motivated violence,' rather than a specific incident.

Security officials have investigated multiple incidents across the country, raising concerns about potential terrorism links. For over 10 months, anti-Israel protests have plagued city streets and university campuses with genocidal 'from the river to the sea' calls commonplace at events.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted the global issue of online radicalisation, stressing the importance of peaceful debate and engagement in Australia's democracy.

"When the temperature of the security environment is rising, we must lower the temperature of debate," he said. "Because our words and our actions matter."

Albanese said that the new threat level does not indicate an imminent threat, however many are left wondering why the government has now decided to raise the threat level.

"Probable does not mean inevitable," he stated, emphasising that there is no current intelligence pointing to an imminent attack.

ASIO chief Mike Burgess claimed that the decision to raise the threat level was based on a deteriorating security environment.

"A threat level of probable is assessed as greater than a 50 per cent chance of attack planning in the next 12 months," he said. However, he clarified that this assessment does not mean there is specific intelligence about current attack planning or an immediate threat.

It comes as Israelis have called for global solidarity in their fight against Hamas, warning Australia is not immune from terrorism.

While the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has heightened concerns, the government claimed that it is not the direct cause of the increased threat level.

It claimed the change reflects a broader trend of rising 'politically motivated violence,' necessitating heightened vigilance and proactive measures by Australia's security agencies.