assistance when they see or feel the need. we have the protocol and the safety and security of these hostages at the utmost importance. this is at the point where we as a community coming together as australians. our first and foremost priority is the safety of these hostages. >> samir, when this situation first started unfolding and there was this confusion about whether or not it was a shois flag or a flag with an islamic phrase on it. and everybody's making this connection that this is this lone wolf terrorist attack that many in australian security had been warning about, was that your reaction? or did you think this was something else? >> caller: i take everything seriously when someone's life is at stake. it doesn't bother me whether this is a lone operator or connected to a group or not. i'm someone who needs to be well-informed about the facts. and this is where we leave it to the authorities. once the facts become available