The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has tabled three reports, relating to the Minister’s recent renewal of the declaration of Mosul district, Iraq and the listing, as terrorist organisations, of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e Jhangvi and Hizballah’s External Security Organisation, the ESO.
The Committee concluded that appropriate processes have been followed and accepted that a listed terrorist organisation, Islamic State, continues to engage in hostile activity in Mosul District, Ninewa Province, Iraq.
The Committee has supported a suggestion from ASIO that the existing protocol be expanded to include the extent to which a listed terrorist organisation exercises territorial control over an area, and any other key factors relevant to the declaration of an area.
The Committee supports the re-declaration of Mosul District and finds no reason to disallow the legislative instrument.
Under the Criminal Code, it is an offence to direct the activities of, be a member of, associate with, or conduct a range of activities in support of a listed terrorist organisation.
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e Jhangvi each continues to engage in, and advocate, terrorism.
The Committee is satisfied that appropriate processes have been followed and concludes that these three organisations continue to meet the definition of a terrorist organisation. The Committee finds no reason to disallow the legislative instruments.
Hizballah’s External Security Organisation, the ESO, is a discrete branch or entity within Hizballah’s military wing. The ESO is positioned alongside, but distinct from, Hizballah’s formal militia and military activity.
The ESO has an ongoing program of contingency planning for terrorist activities around the world, provides training, operational support and material to Palestinian extremist groups and is not engaged in any peace or mediation processes.
The Committee is satisfied that appropriate processes have been followed and that the ESO meets the definition of terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code. Consequently, and on this occasion, the Committee supports the relisting of the ESO as a terrorist organisation and finds no reason to disallow the legislative instrument.
However, the Committee recommends that the Government further consider extending the listing to include Hizballah’s military wing.
The PJCIS Chair, Mr Andrew Hastie MP, said the tabling of these three reports discharge an important part of the Committee’s scrutiny function to inquire into declarations under section 119.3 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 and of terrorist listings made under section 102.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995. ---
