Pete Credlin, a commentator for Sky News, lashed out at the government of Anthony Albanese after evidence emerged of ISIS wives and their children visiting Kmart and McDonald’s within 48 hours of their return to Australia.
Four women, all of whom married terrorists, and their thirteen children arrived in Sydney on Saturday after being evacuated from the al-Roj camp near the Iraqi border in Syria.
Since then, it has come to light that the women are unlikely to face police action, will not forced to wear ankle monitoring devices, and will not be subject to 24-hour police surveillance.
On Tuesday, some of the women were observed at a McDonald’s in Sydney’s south-west.
One of the ISIS brides, Mariam Dabboussy, was also photographed in a Kmart and playground in western Sydney with her family, prompting significant outrage among MPs who were caught off guard by the federal government’s decision to bring them home.
Premier of New South Wales Dominic Perrottet and federal independent of western Sydney Dai Le are seeking answers from Canberra over the safety and security threats posed by ISIS brides in the community.
Tuesday night, an enraged Credlin chimed in on the situation by criticizing the Prime Minister for his decision to allow the ISIS brides to return, which she claims was not adequately conveyed to the public.
Credlin said, ‘Whether you agree with the judgment or not, it is unconscionable for the prime minister to hide from something of this magnitude.
If you’re going to make such a decision, have the guts to justify it in front of the camera.
No one wants to see children punished for the actions of their parents, but it does not excuse the Albanese government’s complete inability to explain, let alone justify, the return of Jihadi families to Australia.
No minister has been on air to defend the decision to repatriate these Jihadists, and the media has not posed any questions to the prime minister.
Credlin, a former adviser and chief of staff to former Coalition prime minister Tony Abbott, stated that while the government has a duty to all Australians, including the ISIS brides and their families, it also has a responsibility to the greater community.
Her tirade continued, “It has utterly evaded its responsibility to explain how the protection of a few women who left Australia to join terrorist organisations overseas is more important than the safety of the general population.”
They shouldn’t live on the same street as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers.
She accepted the potential that the women had realized their folly and now reject the ideas for which they left Australia.
Dai Le, a federally elected independent representative for the Sydney-southwest constituency of Fowler, called the situation as alarming for her constituents.
She just requested a briefing from the minister of home affairs, Clare O’Neil, but has not yet received any information.
Wednesday on the Today show, Ms. Le stated, “This whole repatriation matter has been shrouded in secrecy.”
There has been little transparency over this return from the government to the people in Fowler, south-west Sydney, where the majority of these family have fled the ISIS state and ISIS families.
Ms. Le vowed to demand answers when the legislature meets the following week.
She argued, “We’re meant to be a new government and create trust with the community.”
This is the action you take. How are you going to generate trust to transform the political system if you don’t address this issue immediately?’
This week, Ms. Dabboussy was photographed enjoying a trip to a park with her three children and father near her family home near Blacktown.
She is subject to discretionary orders, but not rigorous terrorism control orders.
In a 2019 interview, Dabboussy, a native of Bankstown, stated that her terrorist husband Kaled Zahab misled her into entering Syria in mid-2015, where he perished shortly after their arrival.
Shayma Assaad, age 22, and her four children may have also returned to Sydney on Saturday.
She was brought to Syria at the age of 15 and married to a Sydney-based Islamic State member, Mohammed Noor Masri, who remains imprisoned in Syria.
Mariam Raad, Dabboussy’s sister-in-law, was on the Saturday flight home with her four children.
Muhammad Zahab, a former math teacher in western Sydney who rose to become one of Australia’s most senior IS leaders, is the husband of Raad.
According to reports, he recruited at least a dozen members of his extended family, including his brother Kaled, to Syria.
In a statement, the mothers expressed their gratitude for being reunited with their children in Australia.
“We would like to apologize for the hardship and pain we have caused, especially to our families. We are willing to do whatever the government authorities request in order to safeguard the safety of our families and the Australian population, and we will cooperate fully with any Australian law enforcement officials.
Once our children have had medical treatment, are healthy, and are mature enough, we want them to have a normal, safe life in Australia, surrounded by family and friends. We are also appreciative for the opportunity to contribute to the Australian community.
Together with our children, we have endured a horrific ordeal for a number of years. We request room, solitude, and time to heal and reunite with our family members in Australia.
This month, the Albanian authorities confirmed a plan to evacuate 16 women and 42 children from the camp who are families of IS fighters.