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Percent of Australians Who Feel Threatened by Terrorism Doubles - Poll

© AFP 2023 / FAROOQ KHANAn Australian national flag flies in front of the city skyline at the Darling Harbour in Sydney on July 19, 2014
An Australian national flag flies in front of the city skyline at the Darling Harbour in Sydney on July 19, 2014 - Sputnik International
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Every fifth Australian citizen answering a new survey expressed a fear of terrorism, two times that of 2005, according to poll results published on Tuesday.

A member of the Iraqi security forces stands between Islamic State ammunition being displayed in al-Alam Salahuddin province March 17, 2015 - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Lowy Institute, carrying out the survey, found that 19 percent of those Australians polled in 2015 expressed a feeling of being unsafe, while in 2005 only 8 percent of those citizens polled admitted feeling insecure with regard to a terrorist threat.

The Institute speculated that three top reasons for anxiety among those polled were the Islamic State jihadist group (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, terrorist attacks on Australian citizens overseas and local terrorism.

Most Australians answering the survey believe that their country's participation in military action against the ISIL in Iraq increases the risk of home-grown terrorism (55 percent), with 47 percent suggesting that it increases a risk in the future. Among those polled 20 percent say that participation in an anti-ISIL coalition makes Australia a safer place in the future.

Responding to the survey, 69 percent of Australians polled support airstrikes on ISIL positions, the involvement of the Australian military in the attacks, and providing Iraq with military assistance.

In April, Australian police detained five men in Melbourne, two of whom allegedly planned to carry out a terror attack during a national holiday. Shortly after the arrests, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that the detainees were suspected of having links to the ISIL.

ISIL militants are known to be recruiting members from the west through social media and word of mouth. At least 20,000 foreign fighters are estimated to have joined ISIL to date, some 100 Australians among them.

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