Sydney Opera House appears in al-Qaida linked magazine

POLICE have warned Australians to be vigilant after an online magazine, linked to al-Qaida, published a picture of Sydney Opera House, and expressed concern about the magazine’s influence on the local Islamic community.

“If you thought the terrorism risk had diminished and gone away, then you are wrong,” said Andrew Scipione, head of police in New South Wales.

“We should never become complacent when it comes to preventing acts of terrorism — so it is a really important wake-up call for us all.”

Police are unclear on the significance of the Opera House picture appearing in the latest issue of Inspire, an English-language online magazine published by associates of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

The picture was carried without any comment or reference point and serves as the cover of a section that includes lessons on how to use an AK-47 rifle and how to make bombs.

Osama Bin Laden is on the magazine’s cover.