No major intelligence failure in Sydney Lindt cafe siege: inquiry

The first official government review into the incident released Sunday said that there had been no major intelligence failure on the part of security forces. It revealed that a national security hotline had received 18 calls about self-styled cleric and gunman Man Haron Monis between December 9 and 12. All concerned offensive material on his Facebook page, but none suggested an imminent attack. The joint federal and state government report found that all decisions authorities made in relation to Monis were reasonable under current laws, though it recommended changes to conditions for immigration, citizenship and bail.

On the basis of the information available at the time, he fell well outside the threshold to be included in the 400 highest priority counter-terrorism investigations, he was only one of several thousand people of potential security concern.

said the first official government review into the Sydney cafe siege

Armed with a pump-action shotgun, Iranian-born Monis took 17 people hostage in Sydney’s Lindt chocolate cafe hostage on December 15. Some 17 hours later he shot dead cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, prompting police to storm the building and kill him. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government was determined to learn from the review. He said Monis, who was on bail at the time for a string of charges, had long been on the radar of security agencies which had assessed him as being of no danger to the community.

Plainly, this monster should not have been in our community. He shouldn’t have been allowed into the country. He shouldn’t have been out on bail.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott

Sydney siege Asia-Pacific