Richard Kerbaj: Facebook terror threat in Australia

COUNTER-TERRORISM agents have launched an investigation into a multi-national terror threat made against an Australian using internet social networking website Facebook. The first investigation of its kind was prompted by a death threat emanating from the Middle East against a Jewish woman and her family from an alleged member of the Iranian-backed terror outfit Hezbollah.

The woman received the death threat from the self-proclaimed terrorist through the website after she declined the man's online "friendship request". The Weekend Australian understands the man - who described himself as Ibrahim Dirani and a member of a Lebanon-based Facebook group - was banned by the network after police launched their investigation this week. The victim - who lives in Melbourne and is a member of an Israeli-based Facebook group - told police the alleged Lebanon-based Hezbollah operative promised to kill her and her family.

According to police documents, the man wrote: "I am Hezbollah and I am going to kill you and all of your family - promise you." The investigation comes as security agencies question their ability to address serious online threats made against Australian citizens by foreign culprits. "The international nature of the website makes it very hard for agencies to ... physically track down those involved," a security source said.