The fires that have ravaged Australia in the early part of February 2009 pose an interesting question. What is the greater threat ; international terrorism or domestic?
There is no doubt that some of the fires that have killed many Australians were purposely lit. So are they terrorists? With thousands of lives destroyed, one wonders why Australian law, and the public, sees any distinction between arsonist and terrorist. What would be the opinion if the arsonist was muslim?
Scientists, environmentalists and, most importantly, fire fighters on the frontline say that the future holds some frightning scenarios given the buildup of fuel, increasing temperatures and proliferation of arsonists.
From TIMESONLINE
The Victorian man accused of lighting one of the fatal Australian bushfires which devastated parts of south-eastern Australia last weekend has been named as 39-year-old Brendan James Sokaluk.
Sokaluk, who is believed to have been a volunteer firefighter, is charged in relation to the Churchill-Jeerelang fire in the West Gippsland region, 100 miles east of the Victorian capital of Melbourne.
He has been charged with one count of arson causing death, one count of intentionally lighting a bushfire and one count of possessing child pornography.
The arson charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years, with the bushfire charge carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years.
The fire which swept through Churchill and the surrounding area killed 21 people, however the prosecution told the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on Monday that Sokaluk’s arson charge was in relation to the deaths of 11 people.
The Churchill bushfire burnt out more than 30,000 hectares of land. It was one of many fires which devastated Victoria on Saturday, February 7, killing 181 people and razing over 1800 homes. Scores of people remain missing.
The suppression order on his name was lifted during a hearing in the court in Melbourne on Monday, which Sokaluk, who was arrested on Friday, did not attend.
Defence lawyer Helen Spowart said her client was in protective custody and his safety was at risk.
“This is an extraordinary case. The level of emotion and anger and disgust that the alleged offences have aroused in the community is unprecedented,” she said.
“He remains in risk while in custody.”
READ THE FULL ARTICLE FROM TIMESONLINE
FROM NEWS.COM.AU
THE man accused of starting one of the deadly Victoria fires, which killed at least 21 people in Gippsland on Black Saturday, was rejected by a woman but was looking for true love.
On his MySpace page, 39-year-old Brendan Sokaluk described himself as a "young happy male" who wants to meet a woman and get married.
"My interest are to enjoy life to the fallest (sic) and not with ........ because she roots behind your back and lies a lot," he wrote. He lists "mother earth" as his hero because "without her we all would be dead".
Mr Sokaluk failed to appear at a court hearing in Melbourne this morning. He was remanded in custody until a committal hearing, which will be held on May 26.
Mr Sokaluk, who faces charges including arson causing death and possession of child pornography, can now be named after a court order banning publication of his name was lifted.
However the order remains barring publication of his address or a photo of him....
READ THE FULL NEWS.COM.AU ARTICLE
FROM GUARDIAN.CO.UK
The Australian prime minister accused arsonists of "mass murder" today as the death toll from the deadliest bushfires in the country's history reached 135. Officials in Victoria believe some of the 400 fires that reduced towns to blackened ruins may have been deliberately set, or have been helped to jump containment lines. The incinerated towns have been officially declared as crime scenes.
The prime minister, Kevin Rudd, announced a $10m (£4.5m) emergency relief fund and said: "Hell in all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria ... many good people now lie dead."
Speaking about the fears that arson could have played a part, he said: "What do you say about anyone like that [an arsonist]? There's no words to describe it, other than it's mass murder....
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
FROM TELEGRAPH.CO.OK
Wade Kirkwood had been fascinated with setting fires since his childhood. But he says it was a troubled marriage and problems at work that turned him into one of the most feared serial arsonists in recent history.
"I felt like I needed to do something as destructive as I could," he explained in a recent interview. "I cared if I hurt people but I didn't care what I was doing. I wanted everybody to feel my pain.
"Deep down, I didn't want anyone to get hurt. But I took that chance when I set the fires, knowing that somebody could get hurt or killed."
Kirkwood, who was a 36-year-old construction engineer at the time, admitted that he enjoyed the thrill of seeing firefighters struggling to tackle the spate of blazes that terrorised rural Kittitas County, Washington, in the scorching summer of 2004.
For forensic psychologists, criminologists and arson investigators, he ticked virtually every box for the profile of an arsonist. He was a white man under 40, a low achiever, with problems at home and a fascination with fire. He was also angry with society, intent on inflicting pain on his local community and revelling in the power he felt he gained from his actions.
The sheriff's department in Kittitas had initially suspected another, smaller category of wildfire arsonists – police and fire officials who enjoy the thrill of tackling and investigating the blazes they set. But Kirkwood emerged as the prime suspect after he was spotted demonstrating another classic characteristic – watching one of his fires from his car.
As Australian investigators pursue those who helped fuel the most lethal round of wildfires in the country's history, Kirkwood's behaviour offers an alarming glimpse into the mindset of an arsonist. It will come as no surprise to the experts that the unidentified suspect charged on Friday in connection with a fire that killed 21 people in Victoria is male, local, allegedly possessed
child pornography and is thought to have acted opportunistically after freak weather.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Tuesday
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