'Get ready for 100-year war with Islam': Former Australian Army chief underlines homegrown jihad threat and warns 'terrorists only have to be lucky once'

Peter Leahy claims Australia is one of many Western countries perceived as 'the far enemy' by radical Islamic militants

He said terrorist plots have been thwarted for iconic Australian landmarks

His warning comes only a few days after the government announced its $630 million funding boost to national counter-terror agencies

The former Chief of the Australian Army, professor Peter Leahy, has warned that Australia needs to prepare itself for a century-long war, both overseas and at home, against radical Islamic militants.



Currently the director of the National Security Institute at the University of Canberra, professor Leahy told Daily Mail Australia that as a liberal, secular society, Australia is perceived as 'the far enemy' by radical Islamic groups and individuals, and would no doubt continue to be targeted.



'We are already affected in that there are places that would be wise for us not to travel to and there have been terrorist bombings in places that we do travel to, as we can see from 9/11 and both of the Bali bombings,' Mr Leahy said.



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Former Chief of the Australian Army, professor Peter Leahy, has warned that Australia needs to prepare itself for a century-long war, both overseas and at home, against radical Islamic militants

'We've even had bomb plots here in Australia and thanks to police and intelligence agencies, have been able to stop those threats.



'But terrorists only have to be lucky once.'

Mr Leahy told The Weekend Australian that the war against radical Islam was likely to last for nearly 100 years.

'Australia is involved in the early stages of a war which is likely to last for the rest of the century,' he said.



'We must be ready to protect ourselves and, where necessary, act pre-emptively to neutralise the evident threat. Get ready for a long war.'





He also noted the significant increase in brainwashing content online from radicals looking to recruit Australians to their cause and the effect this information has on national security.



'One example is a radical online magazine called Inspire, which encourages people to make attacks,' Mr Leahy said.



'One recent issue had a photo of the Sydney Opera House on the front cover.'



He continued: 'Plots have been thwarted at the Holsworthy army base for instance, and other iconic locations.

'I don't see big armies coming here, but I mean these people who have been radicalised, they’re getting ideas off the internet and these ideas are pouring into our lounge rooms.

He said Australia needs to defend itself against individuals who are being brainwashed by radical information online, travel overseas to fight and then 'return home radicalized and decentralized and looking to continue the fight'

'There are certain elements of jihad groups who see the West as a target, and there are people living in Australia who have these ideas and some have gone overseas to fight, who will return home radicalised and decentralised and looking to continue the fight.'

His warnings come only a day after ASIO chief David Irvine addressed the media to explain the necessity of the mandatory data retention plans that were recently approved by the Cabinet.

'The terrorist threat is suddenly starting to impact on Australian citizens and on the security of Australian citizens to a greater degree than it has in the past,' Mr Irvine told media.

On Wednesday, Mr Abbott also revealed the government was increasing the authority of national counter-terror agencies as well as granting them $630 million in funding to assist in the fight against home-grown terrorism.

The warnings come after ASIO chief David Irvine argued the necessity of mandatory data retention and Mr Abbott revealed the $630 million in funding being granted to national counter-terror agencies

Mr Leahy voiced his support for the new policies, saying the restriction of civil liberties was an unfortunate necessity for national security.

He also suggested that Australia had to 'protect itself' by 'making it difficult for certain individuals to come to Australia.'

'I think the most import thing is to identify that the threat is not the individual terror group but the radical ideology that they're following,' Mr Leahy said.

'We need to counter that. That's a job for moderate Islamist nations and leaders in Muslim communities to say "these radical ideas are wrong and we should be following the rules of the nation we live in".

Mr Leahy said the conflicts derive from a century old 'battle of ideas' of how we should live in society, with radical Islamic societies believing that there should be no difference between politics and religion

'We also have to support the Muslim community in Australia and the de-radicalisation of these ideas.'

He suggested that Australia should follow in the footstep of the US and become involved internationally in the internal struggles, highlighting a key point made by Mr Obama in a speech before launching an air-raid on Iraq.



'As we look out from Australia, we can see chaos and unprecedented savagery in some of these lands, particularly in the ISIS groups in Iraq and Syria,' Mr Leahy said.

