Sydney cafe siege: Probe into gunman's asylum and gun licence

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced a review into the background and security checks on the man behind the Sydney cafe siege.

Sang MIO - Mr Abbott said questions must be asked about how Man Haron Monis was not on a watch list despite a history of violence and mental instability.

Monis died along with two hostages on Tuesday when police raided the cafe he had taken over in the centre of Sydney.

He was facing charges of sexual assault and being an accessory to murder.

Monis had a history of religiously motivated activism and called himself a cleric, but officials have said there is as yet no evidence his actions were linked to international Islamist militant networks, despite his use of a flag with the Islamic creed on it during the siege.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said earlier that the separate investigation into the actions of police officers was well advanced, but that he believed officers made "absolutely the right call" in storming the Lindt Chocolat cafe in Martin Place.

'Long record of violence'

Monis was from Iran and was granted asylum in Australia in 1996.

The day before the siege, he had been refused the right to appeal against a conviction for sending "grossly offensive" letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers.

Iran also says he was wanted there over fraud allegations, but that Australia had refused to extradite him 14 years ago.

Speaking in Canberra on Wednesday, Mr Abbott said he had great confidence in the police and security services, but that he wanted "answers to some obvious questions that have been raised in the wake of this terrorist incident".

He said the authorities needed to know how Monis had acquired permanent residency in Australia, how he lived on welfare for many years while apparently physically able, how he obtained a gun licence and "how someone with such a long record of violence and instability was out on bail".

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