Revelations about overseas training, intelligence failures and police responses raise urgent questions that cannot be left to internal reviews.

In a sharp piece of investigative journalism, the ABC’s Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop this week reported that the alleged Bondi terrorists, Sajid and Naveed Akram, travelled to the Philippines for ‘military style training’. This occurred in November, just weeks before they opened fire on the Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.The story emerged after earlier reports that the alleged younger gunman, Naveed Akram, had longstanding links to members of the pro-Islamic State (IS) terrorist network. It is noted that the ABC journalist’s source is a ‘senior counter-terrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity’. Thank goodness for the public-minded discloser!

ASIO boss Mike Burgess, best known for his wolf-warrior approach to China, has been extremely careful to date in his handling of the Bondi massacre aftermath. He replied to a question last Sunday about prior ASIO knowledge of the Akram family with the revealing observation that “its too early to give any more details”. There was no denial that he had more details. Just an assertion to journalist Phil Coorey........

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