How are you feeling?
Great.
Are you a little bit worried about the questions you might be asked today?
Nah... Who came up with this idea? (laughter)
What is your name? And what do you do?
Roger Noble, Counter-Terrorism Ambassador for Australia.
Ambassador, what is that you actually do?
That's a good question.
So actually, I'm very lucky.
So I represent Australia offshore,
with our international partners,
of which we have many,
on any issues related to counter-terrorism.
Does this involve being involved in counter-terrorism operations?
Not if I can help it.
So no, it's not an operational position.
But we do care about counter-terrorism operations,
and we're trying to enable all of our other agencies
to be successful and to keep Australians safe.
Do you have a favorite quote?
“Make your own luck” - Ernest Hemingway.
Is counter-terrorism still relevant when compared to the other priorities facing the world?
Absolutely.
And the reason it is, unfortunately, is the terrorists are still out there.
And violent extremists would do us harm.
So it remains really important that the counter-terrorist effort is effective,
no matter what other challenges we face,
and Australia, like most countries, faces quite a few.
Do you have a particular philosophy?
Oooh, that’s deep.
So, frankly, I'm a stoic.
So
I don't believe you control much. But what you do control is yourself.
What are your views on big tech and their responsibilities in relation to countering-terrorism?
Well, it's the 21st century.
So big tech has a big impact on all of us,
basically, through the control and flow of information.
So I think they have an obligation along with all of us
to manage violent extremism online
and to get that material off,
and to help us all keep people safe
and stop the spread of the appeal of violent extremism.
Is it okay to have extreme and radical ideas?
Yeah, if it's missing the word “violent”,
in our country, it's okay.
So we don't have to like what you think
and that's a good thing, it's a democracy,
but when there's violence or
the threat of violence, that's where the line is.
If you could give your teenage self a piece of advice,
what would it be?
Surf more.
What are the consequences of the Afghanistan withdrawal?
We'll see.
So clearly with Afghanistan
there's pretty much a global concern that violent extremism does not do well there,
and it doesn't turn into a safe haven
that enables the projection of transnational terrorism
around the globe, as happened in 2001.
What is extreme right wing?
Aren’t they just a bunch of people
who look like they belong on the set of the movie
Romper Stomper?
Good question.
So extreme right ring falls in what we call
ideologically motivated violent extremism.
It's another ideology that has violence at its heart,
which we need to counter.
And it's a pretty amorphous grouping.
And it can look like the set of a movie
and takes ideas from the past.
But in the 21st century,
it remains a problem for Australia.
What should take priority human rights or preventing terrorism?
They go together.
So part of our approach to preventing terrorism
is staunch adherence to human rights
and respect for people.
Fundamentally,
terrorists don't respect people and we do.
Is the internet helping or preventing terrorism?
That's a big question.
The internet's the internet,
the digital age is the digital age,
which means information flows around the globe immediately
and gets into everybody's hands.
So it can both aid terrorists
by helping them do what they do.
And it can be a key tool in helping us prevent it
by putting a counter-narrative
and explaining to people
why terrorism is not what we should be doing.
What are your proudest professional achievements?
Actually,
fighting terrorists,
in the army,
mainly 2016 in Iraq,
helping the Iraqis
get back Fallujah and liberate Mosul.
Where do you see the world heading in the future?
What are the threats and what can be done to overcome them?
Well, the world is changing really quickly.
Everybody sits and says that.
But in this world, the rate of change is exponential,
especially technology.
So I think we're going to have to deal really with
ubiquitous information flowing everywhere immediately.
And that means that we're going to have to talk more, communicate more
and make a compelling case to stop the spread of violent extremism.
What do you want to achieve as the Counter-Terrorism Ambassador?
I want Australia's Relationships,
internationally,
to be first-rate.
And when we really need help
to help Australians somewhere,
we've got a network we can leverage
and that we're respected in the reverse
that when other countries need help from us,
they know they can get it.