On 28 February 2017, 42-year-old Australian national Haisem Zahab was arrested and charged with foreign incursion offences for allegedly assisting Islamic State (IS). He was reportedly seeking to develop defensive technology to detect coalition laser-guided munitions in Iraq and Syria and to develop offensive technology to support the use of long-range guided missiles. Zahab was also charged with failing to comply with orders to permit access to data.

This CT Quick Look report reviews the incident and makes recommendations for Australian counter-terrorism agencies.

This is the fifth edition of ASPI CTPC’s CT Quick Look. The publication provides a high-level brief on significant terrorist incidents and counterterrorist actions. CT Quick Look reports highlight the key issues and assess relevance for affected stakeholders and Australia.