Australia spy chief accuses friendly nations of foreign interference

Australia’s spy chief on Sunday accused some friendly nations of running foreign interference operations in the country, saying their identities would surprise people if revealed.

Canberra last year named Iran as having engaged in foreign interference, adding that Australian intelligence had disrupted “individuals” conducting a surveillance operation on an Iranian-Australian’s home.

But other countries are also secretly attempting to interfere in Australia’s political system and in its diaspora communities, said Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO).

“I can think of at least three or four that we’ve actually actively found involved in foreign interference in Australian diaspora communities,” Burgess said in an interview with public broadcaster ABC.

“Some of them would surprise you. Some of them are also our friends,” he said.

Burgess declined to identify the countries involved beyond confirming the government’s allegation of Iran’s involvement.

Foreign interference, espionage and politically motivated violence are Australia’s principal security concerns, Burgess said.

“In diaspora communities, there are multiple countries that attempt to threaten and intimidate Australians living in this country,” he said.

“When we find it, we deal with it effectively.”

In 2022, Burgess revealed ASIO had foiled a foreign interference plot by a wealthy person — named only as “the puppeteer” — with deep connections to a foreign government.

That person had funnelled hundreds of thousands of dollars to an employee to try to influence an election, he said at the time, without specifying which vote was targeted.

ASIO this month raised Australia’s terrorism threat level to “probable,” saying a homegrown rise in extreme ideologies had increased the likelihood of a violent act in the next 12 months.

Burgess said Sunday the spread of misinformation on social media made it harder to tackle the threat of politically motivated violence, with minors notably “locked in their bedrooms on their devices” and increasingly exposed to violent extremism.

The spy chief said ASIO would be keeping an eye on such risks surrounding Australia’s next general election, widely expected to be held in 2025, because it would be a “focal point” for robust debate on social issues.