Melbourne Christmas Day mass terror attack foiled, by John Ferguson.

Victoria Police say they have foiled an ISIS inspired terror attack on Christmas Day in the heart of Melbourne.

Terror plotters allegedly planned to attack Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Heavily armed police raided homes across Melbourne’s north on Friday morning and made seven arrests.

Five men aged between 21 and 26 were arrested across Gladstone Park, Flemington, Campbellfield, Meadow Heights, and Dallas. Four of them were born in Australia and are of Lebanese background, while a fifth is an Egyptian-born Australian citizen.

One of the men arrested is Zak Dabboussi from Gladstone Park. His Facebook page is prolific with religious material including quotes from the Koran. Through his online persona he showed signs of becoming increasingly religious over the past 18 months and concerned over the war in Syria. …

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton alleged would-be terrorists were inspired by ISIS. “These are self-radicalised … (but they were) inspired by ISIS and ISIS propaganda”. …

Mr Ashton said police believe the plotters planned to use an explosion and other weapons in the attack. …

Malcolm Turnbull said the planned Christmas Day attack was “one of the most substantial terrorist plots” to have been disrupted in the last several years. …

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson hit out at [Victorian Premier] Mr Andrews for not linking the terror plot to religion as she attributed the planned attack to “Muslim extremists”.

Former Liberal minister and speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop also slammed the “socialist state of Victoria saying that it’s nothing to do with belief or religion”.

Wrong diagnosis will everywhere and always lead to the wrong treatment. Labor is putting our society at risk for the Islamic vote — how shortsighted.

hat-tip Stephen Neil