Australia's leading spy agency has admitted it failed to respond to a call from a terrorist who offered to reveal all about his links to terror group al-Qaeda and his terror training in Afghanistan. The man was West Australian Jack Roche, currently in jail for nine years after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit terror offences. In its annual report, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) acknowledged Roche attempted to make contact in mid-2000. Roche, who was having misgivings about his part in a proposed al-Qaeda attack on the Israeli embassy in Canberra and consulate in Sydney, wanted to volunteer information on his travels in Afghanistan and possible Australian links to al-Qaeda. ASIO made no response. It now admits a major failing which it has addressed. It said the failure to follow up Roche's calls revealed inadequacies in the handling of what it termed public line callers.
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"Born in the Caribbean, introduced to militant Islam in France and trained as a terrorist in Pakistan, Brigitte embodied the global nature of international terrorism," he said. "But for the cooperative work of the French authorities, ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and the NSW Police, it is likely that Brigitte and his associates would have carried out a terrorist attack in Australia." Brigitte was arrested in Sydney in October last year and interviewed by police and by ASIO officers. He refused to discuss his activities. Because the French security service wanted him back and its investigation was well advanced, ASIO decided the best course was to return him to France, where he remains in custody.