Abbreviated Wikipedia

A group of eleven stockmen, consisting of assigned convicts and former convicts, ten of them men of European extraction and one African (John Johnstone), led by a squatter, John Fleming from Mungie Bundie Run near Moree, arrived at Henry Dangar's Myall Creek station on 10 June 1838. They rode up to the station huts beside which were camped a group of approximately thirty-five Aboriginal people. They were part of the Wirrayaraay (alternative spelling: Weraerai) group who belonged to the Kamilaroi people. They had been camped at the station for a few weeks after being invited by one of the convict stockmen, Charles Kilmeister (or Kilminister), to come to their station for their safety and protection from the gangs of marauding stockmen who were roaming the district slaughtering any Aboriginal people they could find.

....The stockmen then entered the hut, tied them to a long tether rope and led them away. They took them to a gully on the side of the ridge about 800 metres to the west of the station huts. There they slaughtered them all except for one woman who they kept with them for the next couple of days. The approximately 28 people they murdered were largely women, children and old men.

....The trial continued until 2 am on 30 November, when the seven men were found guilty. On 5 December they were sentenced to execution by hanging. Those executed, on 18 December 1838, were: Charles Kilmeister, James Oates, Edward Foley, John Russell, John Johnstone, William Hawkins and James Parry. The four remaining accused, Blake, Toulouse, Palliser and Lamb, were remanded until the next session to allow time for the main witness against them, an Aboriginal boy named Davey, to be prepared in order to take a Bible oath. According to the missionary, Lancelot Edward Threlkeld, Dangar had arranged for Davey to be put out of the way and he was never seen again. With Davey unable to be located, the four were discharged in February 1839.[2]

We of English blood arrived and terrorised the indigenous people and in turn the indigenous people terrorised the settlers and bloodshed and death and murder occurred on both sides.
Can that be compared to radicals purposely going into the US to attack and kill innocent people on 9/11?
Nevertheless, I send my apologies to Australian indigenous people that suffered and I hope they will continue to rest in peace.

Moving forward perhaps toward solutions, does anyone know the true fundamental reason causing people to join with present day terrorists?

Loudmouth,

Humans can be extremely savage (as you are aware)....and they can be just as savage with modern weapons.

"Yes, I apologise: I wasn't sure how far back in history, even into pre-history, to go to find something which matched the brutality and utter contempt for humanity of ISIS."

Oh I don't know, the NAZIs displayed utter contempt for Jewish life on that scale. Pol Pot displayed utter contempt for life as well..

And you might recall the spectacle several weeks ago of Gazans being chased up and down their penned ghetto being bombed to oblivion with advanced weaponry. Picture upon picture of children blown to smithereens, schools, hospitals, designated UN safe areas bombed with gay abandon. Nothing displays the utter barbarity of that episode more blatantly than the father who walked up to journalist with a plastic bag full of meat - the remains of his two year-old son.

That well and truly matches your definition of "brutality and utter contempt for humanity".

"Hmmmmm ....... I wonder what the common factor is. It can't be Islam, because Islam is a religion of peace..."

You've got a particularly myopic view.

Myopic or not, I think it excellent to look closely as long as the close up view is not blurred or twisted so as to incite revenge.
Looking closely is a way of possibly seeing where the fundamental flaw is located. Then is can be possible to find and overcome what may be causing the actual problem.
I think if we look into pockets and purses of a majority of people on this planet, it can be seen there is little or no cash money to afford food and other needs.
And let's not forget it is consumerism that is supposed to drive entire economies.
As said earlier, if all able people in the Middle East had employment and US$100 a day take home pay there would likely be no unrest or rebels and terrorism

Going back to the original intent of the thread, ie: Are Australia's actions in Iraq boosting revenge terrorism? The latest events have answered this definitively.

With the air forces of the US, several EU countries, Australia, and several Arab countries, ISIL cannot seriously target everyone whilst having the crap knocked out of them on the ground. The latest strikes are taking out the financial backbone of this bunch of lunatics and while it won't destroy them, will severely cripple them.

The fear campaign being run by the greens is just that, all noise and no substance.

Hi Poirot,

Yes, you're right - ISIS can be compared to the Nazis and to Pol Pot's regime. And to the inhumanity of Stalin's regime and probably Mao's as well. All vile, brutal and despicable regimes.

Currently, however, the issue concerns ISIS and its drive for a world-wide caliphate through extreme violence. It has to be combatted with as much vigour as the allies combatted and defeated the Nazis.

Thanks for that insight.

Cheers,

Joe