Al-Qaeda sympathisers in New Zealand but attack risk low: spy service

WELLINGTON (AFP) - Al-Qaeda sympathisers are living in New Zealand and could pose a security risk but the likelihood of an attack by Islamic extremists is low, the country's spy service said.

The Security Intelligence Service (SIS) said in its annual report that threats could come from within New Zealand as Al-Qaeda often sought to inspire other radicals to carry out attacks.

"The inspirational approach means that the threat could come from individuals who are already living here," Director of Security Richard Woods said in the SIS annual report presented to New Zealand's parliament on Thursday.

"There are individuals in New Zealand who are sympathetic to Al-Qaeda, have strongly anti-western views and have links to extremists overseas," Woods said.

People in New Zealand had joined "jihad" in places such as Bosnia and there were links between criminals and Islamic extremists in the country.

The report said the SIS was not aware of any specific terrorist threat, but there was a need for increased vigilance if New Zealand was to continue to be neither the victim nor source of terrorism.

Despite this, the SIS assessed the chances of a terrorist attack in New Zealand as low.

The report said most local Muslims and immigrants were law abiding and of no security concern. Moderate Muslims had sometimes moved to check the activities of more radical Muslims.