๐ŸŒ Australia shares its annual Threat Assessment


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Hi Intriguer. A few years ago, I was approached online by a man purporting to be the head of a Chinese โ€œconsultancyโ€. He asked whether Iโ€™d be interested in writing reports for his organisation, particularly on anything I knew about the Australian government, and asked what I would require in return.

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I never responded, reported the incident to some former colleagues, and never heard of the matter again. Besides, to paraphrase Groucho Marx, Iโ€™d never want to work for a โ€˜consultancyโ€™ that would have me as a โ€˜consultantโ€™.

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I mention that little story because todayโ€™s briefing is about a speech by the head of Australiaโ€™s domestic spy agency during which he alleged that an Australian politician was recruited by foreign spies after leaving government.

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Thereโ€™s plenty of speculation as to the identity of this person (more on that below), but at time of publishing, no names have been named. As you can imagine, the ensuing speculation has been about as bad for productivity in Canberra as a sale on baked goods in the office cafeteria.

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TODAYโ€™S NEWS

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TOP STORY

Australiaโ€™s spooks just dropped an explosive annual โ€˜Threat Assessmentโ€™

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The head of Australiaโ€™s domestic intelligence agency (the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, aka โ€˜ASIOโ€™) delivered his annual Threat Assessment address on Wednesday night local time. It was a doozy.

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Here are five intriguing quotes from the ASIO chief, Mike Burgess:

  1. โ€œI appreciate that people need to market themselves but please be smart and be discreet โ€“ donโ€™t make yourself an easy target.โ€

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Early on, Burgess dunks on the โ€œ14,000 Australians publicly boasting [on LinkedIn] about having a security clearance or working in the intelligence communityโ€, leaving themselves vulnerable to targeting by foreign spies.

  1. โ€œA foreign intelligence service tried to find an Australian who would be willing to make a dissident โ€˜disappearโ€™โ€.

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He then goes on to describe how foreign spooks seek to harm members of migrant communities whoโ€™ve criticised regimes in their countries of origin. Itโ€™s an intriguing comment, particularly in the context of recent allegations in Canada and the US that Indian intelligence had ordered the assassination of Sikh activists. We wouldnโ€™t be surprised if similar allegations emerge out of Australia.

  1. โ€œRight now there is a particular team in a particular foreign intelligence service with a particular focus on Australia โ€“ we are its priority target.โ€

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The ASIO chief then goes into detail about a team of foreign spooks which he nicknames โ€˜the A-teamโ€™ – he says theyโ€™re running a large-scale operation targeting Australians with access to privileged information.

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As above, these spies often approach Australians via LinkedIn, claiming to work for fictitious companies and offering lucrative consulting gigs and trips abroad. Their conversations then shift to encrypted apps, and requests for insider info.ย 

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Burgess declines to name names, but the widespread speculation (combined with the A-teamโ€™s reported interest in the AUKUS submarine program) is that the elephant in the room is actually a dragon – China.

  1. โ€œThis politician sold out their country, party and former colleagues to advance the interests of the foreign regime.โ€

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This is where the intrigue really thickens.ย 

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Burgess drops the explosive revelation that a former politician betrayed their country to help a foreign regime. He doesnโ€™t name names, but gives some hints:

  • It happened โ€œseveral years agoโ€, seemingly before Australiaโ€™s foreign interference laws were strengthened (in 2018), and

  • The spies attempted (but failed) to involve a prime ministerโ€™s family

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In response, the son of a former prime minister has now revealed he once reported a โ€œbrazenโ€ approach by presumed Chinese spies with links to a former politician.

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This led many to believe the ASIO chief could be referring to stories already in the public domain. Without suggesting any of the following are the ex-politician in question, here are just some of the stories previously reported in local media:

  • A former rising-star senator was once caught warning a Beijing-linked billionaire about surveillance by Australian intelligence. This ex-senator has denied itโ€™s him.

  • Another ex-politician was found to have engaged in โ€œserious corrupt conductโ€ in relation to Beijing-linked political donations, but heโ€™s also denying itโ€™s him.

  • And a former Australian foreign minister – with links to the same controversial billionaire above – once irked Australian intelligence agencies for seemingly revealing classified information in his memoirs.

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So, whodunnit? Weโ€™ve been passed a name. But ASIO is warning that naming the culprit could expose its sources – and our lawyers are warning that Australiaโ€™s defamation laws are aggressive – so weโ€™re gonna sit tight for now. More on that below. ๐Ÿค

  1. โ€œWe want the A-team to know its cover is blown.โ€

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Burgess then describes how late last year, the A-team leader thought he was grooming yet another Australian online, before that Australian revealed he was actually an ASIO officer โ€“ โ€œthe spy was being spied on, the player was being playedโ€. Maybe the big revelation here is that Australiaโ€™s spy chief has a flair for the dramatic.

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Interestingly, Burgess then effectively says heโ€™s publicising all this now in part to sow suspicion and turmoil within the rival intelligence agency – did the A-team report back to HQ that it had been sprung by ASIO? If not, why not?

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INTRIGUEโ€™S TAKE

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So why have we devoted a briefing to Australiaโ€™s annual threat assessment? Because it touches on issues that are relevant everywhere.

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First, Burgess is one of several spy chiefs now trying to bring his agencyโ€™s work out of the shadows – this is partly about bolstering their social licence to operate. But judging by the largely uncritical response from Australiaโ€™s public, the real issue here might be less about a lack of social licence, and more about a lack of public debate around the trade-offs that free societies make with their spies. Maybe thatโ€™s a reflection of todayโ€™s higher-risk environment.

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Second, Burgess also justifies his speech as a kind of โ€œdisinfectant lightโ€ to raise public awareness around foreign spy tactics, and build up Australiaโ€™s resistance. The public frenzy to identify this politician has clearly drawn the countryโ€™s attention, but itโ€™s arguably done some damage in the process:

  • The list of names circulating is alarmingly long (and often plausible), and risks undermining the publicโ€™s faith in elected representatives

  • Itโ€™s triggered infighting, suspicion, and paranoia – ie, the very same things Burgess was seeking to trigger among the rival spooks, and

  • Although no countries were mentioned, this has all still inevitably made life difficult again for many Chinese-Australians, who form a key part of Australiaโ€™s ability to manage the China relationship effectively.

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And that brings us to our third and final point: Chinaโ€™s rise is such a complex issue for governments and societies everywhere. To respond, we must be able to debate and think through the issues clearly. And that means folks being able to critique their own governmentโ€™s approach without fear of being labelled unpatriotic, or worse. Itโ€™s a balancing act, and this week felt wobbly.

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THE MOMENT YOUโ€™VE BEEN WAITING FOR: SHOP INTRIGUE!

T-shirts and hats, phone cases and mugs – oh my!

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Many of you have asked us, time and time again, โ€œhow can I get my hands on one of those sweet sweet Intrigue t-shirts?โ€

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Good news! Weโ€™ve just launched our first-ever merch storefront. Weโ€™ve created a few choice pieces to get you started and weโ€™ll add more as inspiration strikes. (If youโ€™ve got a great idea for a bit of merch, let us know!)

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Enjoy shopping, and thanks for supporting us!

MEANWHILE, ELSEWHEREโ€ฆ

  1. ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ตย North Korea: Space experts say North Koreaโ€™s first spy satellite is โ€œaliveโ€, after they detected changes in its orbit suggesting itโ€™s now being controlled from Pyongyang. The new satelliteโ€™s capabilities remain unknown, though its ability to course-correct in space was unexpected.

  2. ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บย Russia: President Vladimir Putin has used his annual state-of-the-nation address to hail Russian national unity and warn of โ€œtragic consequencesโ€ if Western troops are deployed to Ukraine. Heโ€™s running for re-election in March 15-17 elections, against token opposition.

  3. ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญย Philippines: Manilaโ€™s energy undersecretary says the Philippines is looking to boost oil and gas exploration in its Sulu Sea. The country has long sought to develop projects in its portion of the South China Sea, but Chinaโ€™s expansive claim to 90% of the Sea has stalled progress.

  4. ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆย Canada: Ottawa has re-imposed new visa rules on Mexican nationals in an attempt to curb asylum claims that spiked after the requirements were relaxed in 2016. Mexicoโ€™s foreign ministry says it โ€œregretsโ€ the change, and โ€œreserves the right to act in reciprocityโ€.

  5. ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ทย Turkey: Russiaโ€™s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, arrives in Turkey today following reports Turkey and the UN are pursuing a new safety scheme for cargo ships in the Black Sea. The UN and Turkey had previously brokered a deal to ensure the safe export of Ukrainian grain exports to world markets, but Russia withdrew in July 2023.

EXTRA INTRIGUE

Some weekend recommendations if youโ€™re in ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ Mumbai:

  • Eat: Stop by the โ€˜Leopold Cafeโ€™, a historic spot in Mumbai’s food scene that features prominently in novels (Shantaram) and films (Gully Boy).

  • Do: Watch the sun set over the Gateway of India from Soho House (also home to a piece by one of our favourite artists, Paul Davies).

  • Visit: Book a ticket to the โ€˜Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalayaโ€™ museum for stunning Indian art and historical artefacts.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

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Why are American celebs such as Lindsay Lohan and Brian Baumgartner calling for the downfall of Moldavian President Maia Sandu? The answerโ€™s every bit as odd as youโ€™d expect.ย 

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Last year, a series of short videos by US celebrities surfaced online, showing them happily addressing a โ€˜Sanduโ€™ and parting with a cheery call of #DavaiteSkinemSandu (Russian for #Let’sBringDownSandu). Similar videos by Elijah Wood and Mike Tyson addressed a โ€˜Volodymyrโ€™ (Zelenskyy) and exhorted him to end his drug abuse (a common Kremlin smear of Ukraineโ€™s leader).ย 

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It seems these videos are not AI-generated deepfakes, but rather paid-for personalised videos requested by Russian-friendly trolls or propagandists – the celebs fell for a politically-motivated prank.ย 

FRIDAY QUIZ

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