Australian Terror Suspects Arrested

[Prime Time Andrew Doyle 0]

Man wanted to be Australias first suicide bomber

 

A MELBOURNE man was desperate to become Australia's first suicide bomber as revenge for the war in Iraq, a court heard yesterday.

The suspects

Terror arrest pictures

 

Abdulla Merhi, 20, of Fawkner, was one of nine alleged members of an Islamic cell behind bars last night accused of forming their own terror group committed to "violent jihad" in Australia.

Members of terror cells in Melbourne and Sydney had discussed making bombs, and had accumulated money, bomb-making chemicals and firearms, prosecutor Richard Maidment QC told the Melbourne Magistrates' Court.

 

A bail hearing for Mr Merhi, 20, was told he was such a fervent devotee of Islam that his co-accused feared his rants about infidels and beheadings would tip people off to their activities.

 

In September last year he allegedly went to accused terror cell leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika seeking permission to become a martyr in Australia, but was told to wait and became impatient.

 

"He wanted to die here. He said he wanted to be a martyr (for Islam)," Det-Sgt Chris Murray, of the joint counter terrorism team, told the court.

 

"It was quite clear that he wanted to go the way of . . . similar to a suicide bomber."

 

The court also heard:

 

THE group was prepared to sacrifice innocent women and children in pursuit of their jihad, or holy war.

 

POLICE had been monitoring suspects since June last year but were forced to act early yesterday after group members in Sydney tried to purchase large amounts of chemicals to carry out an attack.

 

THE chemicals were said to have been of the same kind used in the devastating London bombings.

 

A $19,000 fighting fund, called a sandook, was used by the Melbourne cell to buy weapons and fund training exercises.

 

INSTRUCTIONS on making explosives were taken from a manual called the Vortex Cookbook.

 

A REMOTE site at Kinglake was used as a midnight training ground late last year.

 

APPARATUS for processing chemicals including "massive quantities" of beakers, burners and other equipment had been ordered.

 

THE suspects started their own counter-surveillance of police after realising they were being watched.

 

A TENTH member of the group was yet to be arrested and there may be others.

 

Det-Sgt Murray told the court police had about 240 hours of recorded conversations between members of the group that included discussions about military jihad and martyrdom.

 

Prosecutor Richard Maidment, SC, said the men were committed to the cause, without respect for human life or safety.

 

"(It) embraces the notion that it is permitted in certain circumstances, in pursuit of violent jihad, to kill innocent women and children," he said.

 

Mr Benbrika, 45, also known as Abu Bakr, was allegedly head of both groups but kept details of their activities separate, sparking rivalry over their progress.

 

The court heard the Melbourne group protested to Mr Benbrika that their Sydney counterparts were ahead of them as they had been gathering chemicals, and they wanted to do something about it.

 

"We say something in the nature of a terrorist act," Mr Maidment said.

 

"The crown points to evidence that each member of the group remains committed to the pursuit of violent jihad in Australia.

 

"There has been discussion amongst the Melbourne group that the Sydney group were further ahead of them and they were anxious to do something themselves."

 

The court heard a concerned local called police last year after seeing 10 men in camouflage gear on an isolated road at Kinglake at 11.30pm on a Saturday night.

 

Defence lawyer Brian Walters, SC, told the court the men were paintball enthusiasts.

 

They also planned a training camp at Ocean Grove but it was aborted after booking problems, and some visited a hunting property in rural NSW last year, it was alleged.

 

Investigators refused to reveal whether covert operatives had been used to infiltrate the gang.

 

Lawyers for the men said charges of knowingly being a member of a terrorist organisation would be vigorously fought.

 

Only Mr Merhi and father of three Hany Taha, 31, applied for bail.

 

The court heard Mr Taha's family panel-beating business was involved in raising money for the terror fund through a car rebirthing racket.

 

Mr Taha's lawyer Brian Walters, SC, told the court the allegations against his client, a married father of three, were vague.

 

He said Mr Taha had no prior convictions.

 

Mr Merhi's lawyer Rob Stary said his client also had no criminal history, was recently married and his wife was expecting their first child soon.

 

He said his client would vigorously contest the charges.

 

The prosecution opposed bail, saying they feared that if freed the men would rally and carry out their deadly agenda.

 

A decision on bail for Mr Merhi and Mr Taha is expected this morning.

 

Mr Benbrika's home and the home of co-accused Fadal Sayadi were two of four properties raided in a joint operation conducted by ASIO and federal and Victoria Police in June.

 

Mr Benbrika is a dual Algerian and Australian citizen and arrived in Australia in 1989.

 

Aimen Joud, 21, of Hoppers Crossing; Ezzit Raad, 23, of Preston; Fadal Sayadi, 25, of Coburg; Ammer Haddara, 26, of Yarraville; Ahmed Raad, 22, of Fawkner, and Shane Kent, 28, of Meadow Heights, all faced court charged with being members of a terrorist organisation.

 

Mr Benbrika is charged with directing and being a member of a terror organisation.

 

The group is due to return to court in January

 

source: Hearldsun.com.au

[Guest clockworkraven]

A bail hearing for Mr Merhi, 20, was told he was such a fervent devotee of Islam that his co-accused feared his rants about infidels and beheadings would tip people off to their activities.

 

I'm too cynical, especially with the IR reforms still coming along nicely.

[Prime Time Andrew Doyle 0]

Get your head outta your ass. If these arrests were to help John Howard save face, than the AFP, Victorian Police, NSW Police, Kim Beazly and all the Labour state premiers would have to be in on it, and I don't really think that the ALP would do anything to make John Howard look good. Trying to turn this into conspiracy is extremly pathetic.

[Adam 0]

Hey, don't you tell me they weren't scaremongering before these arrests were made. The Coalition basically came out for a week beforehand and said "we're expecting a terrorist attack pretty soon, so yeah, be careful!"

 

They caught guys taking video footage of Spencer St station a couple weeks before London. ASIO knew about this shit weeks ago, it was convenient for them to pull the trigger on it now.

 

I really don't know how to feel about the IR reforms. On one side of my family, my dad will be without a union and without bargaining power, on the other, my mother will be able to negotiate a decent contract. Being a labor man in a labor state, I don't want the reforms to go through, but hey, the stupid fuckers in the north of Tas and (as usual) in the richer parts of the country gave those assholes majorities in both houses, so we'll have to fix this shit in 2007.

[Prime Time Andrew Doyle 0]

Hey, don't you tell me they weren't scaremongering before these arrests were made.  The Coalition basically came out for a week beforehand and said "we're expecting a terrorist attack pretty soon, so yeah, be careful!"

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

And if they didn't say anything people will be crying "Why weren't we warned", an yes ASIO knew about them, but they did'nt have the ower to arrest them without the changing of the legislation.

 

As a side note, how will your dad not have a union? I didn't think the new IR laws can prohibit you from joining a union. That being said, some unions can just go away because for the most part they are extremly irrelevant (The teaching unions. Honestly, it is hard to believe that some of those wankers are teachers), however others are still an important tool for workers rights (Trade unions, though not the militant sections).

 

Finally, Labour have no chance at beating Johnny Howard or Peter Costallo at the next election, unless they fuck up in grand fashion, and knowing Howards innate ability to play the politcal game, that won't happen with him.

[Adam 0]

I'd actually rather Howard over Costello. But seriously, best PM we've had? Bob Hawke by miles. Mad held a world record for quickest stubby skolling time, THERE'S a fucking leader.

[spiny norman 0]

I would far prefer Costello as leader than Howard. In fact, aside from Tony Abbott, there's not a single person in the Liberal Party I think would be worse than Howard. He's surpassing McMahon for the spot of Worst Prime Minister ever.

 

As for best, I can think of many better than Hawke. Curtin, Chifley, Menzies, Fraser and Keating would all be ahead of him in my book, along with the true greatest Prime Minister ever - Gough.

 

Anyway, the IR reforms are bullshit and I can not believe you would think otherwise. They can not be justified and there is absolutely no reason for them. How can you defend the abolition of unfair dismissal laws? Your basic workers' rights shall be lost. It's the most disgraceful thing he has ever done, and as soon as Labor puts forward a leader with some balls the Liberals are losing the next election.

[DARRYLXWF 0]

...would all be ahead of him in my book, along with the true greatest Prime Minister ever - Gough.

 

Tell that to the millions of people he fucked over. Visionary? Sure. Incompetent at reaching that vision? Hell yeah. The asshole tried to get half a million dollars from Saddam for a god damn election campaign! Saddam, of all people. Not to mention the thousands he put out of work. Oh yeah, and the oil price schock was really helped by massive government expenditure that made inflation ten times worse than it could have been.

 

The thing which really annoys me? If Gough was such a visionary, such a leader, he could have spent the last 25 years contributing to public debate. Instead he chooses to go on and on and on about '75. What a waste of a life.