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July 24, 2006

Australia: Islamist "Terror Plotters" Appear In Court

On November 8 last year, 16 people were arrested in raids carried out in Melbourne and Sydney, involving 400 police officers. Those arrested had been under surveillance for some time in a measure called Operation Pendennis, which had amassed 240 hours of recorded evidence over a period of two years.

Among those arrested was the Melbourne-based radical cleric, 46-year old Abu Nacer Benbrika (pictured), who lives in Dallas, a suburb in the north of the city. At a bail hearing in December, the court was told that this cleric had been recorded, in February 2005, discussing with another of the suspects the killing of Prime Minister John Howard. The cleric had said publicly in August 2005: "My religion doesn't tolerate other religion....Jihad is part of my religion."

According to a 20-page police fact sheet disclosed in November, the Sydney members amongst those arrested had been planning to attack the research nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights in suburban Sydney.

Today, the committal hearing of thirteen men from Melbourne began. The news is carried by News.com.au, ABC.net and the Australian. The Melbourne Age has at least three separate articles on the case, One, Two and Three.

Ten suspects had been arrested from Melbourne last year, and three more were apprehended in March of this year.

Not all of the thirteen accused appeared in the Victorian County Court today for the committal hearing. Benbrika refused to appear in person, as he claimed that he had been assaulted on an earlier trip to a hearing while being restrained. His lawyer Asley Halphen said: "It should be noted that the reason that he has not attended is certainly not to make any spectacle of himself."

Another individual, 29-year old Shane Kent, was left behind due to an administrative cock-up, and his lawyer claimed that he wished to appear in court to defend himself. Kent and five others remained at Barwon Prison. These five, and the seven who appeared in court, are all charged with being members of a terrorist organisation. Some of the accused are further charged with financing a terrorist organisation.

Chief magistrate Paul Smith allowed the committal hearing to proceed, without the presence of the missing individuals. Shane Kent did appear later in the day.

Kent, of Meadow Heights, was alleged to have received training in the use of weapons and explosives at an al Qaeda-run training camp. The camp was the notorious Al Farooq in Afghanistan, stated Mark Dean, prosecuting. Mr Dean said that a witness would be providing evidence that he saw Kent swear his allegiance to the cause of jihad in the presence of Osama bin Laden.

Dean claimed that the Melbourne suspects were assisting the Sydney cell to purchase laboratory equipment, which was intended for use in making explosives.

He also claimed that Kent and 21-year old Aimen Joud had made a jihad film which contained messages from Osama bin Ladan and the now-dead Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Dean also quoted from a recorded converation of Benbrika, whom he described as the group's "spiritual leader", in which the cleric said: "If we want to die for jihad we have to do maximum damage, maximum damage, damage to their buildings and everything and damage their lives. Just to show them that's what we have been waiting for....You have to be careful. Trust no-one."

The prosecutor also maintained that guns had been found at the homes of two of the accused. In September 2004, a loaded .45mm pistol and a "tactical vest" were found at the home of Aimen Joud, and a .22-caliber rifle was found rolled up in a carpet in a shed at the home of Fadal Sayadi.

CDs containing a bomb manufacturing guide, called the Vortex Cookbook were also discovered during police raids, Mr Dean said.

The seven individuals (later eight when Kent arrived) sat behind a glass screen at the rear of the court. They had 10 security guards around them, and also in the courtroom.

The thirteen accused are:
Izzydeen Atik, aged 26, of WIlliamstown
Abu Nacer Benbrika, aged 46, from Dallas
Shoue Hammoud, aged 26 of Hadfield
Amer Haddara, aged 26 of Yarraville
Aimen Joud, aged 21 of Hoppers Crossing
Shane Kent, aged 29 of Meadow Heights
Abdulla Merhi, aged 21 of Fawkner
Ahmed Raad, aged 23 of Fawkner
Bassam Raad, aged 24 of Brunswick
Ezzit Raad, aged 24 from Preston
Majed Raad, aged 22 of Coburg
Fadal Sayadi, aged 26 from Coburg
Hany Taha, aged 31 of Hadfield

The Age explains that committal hearings are used to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move the cases on for full trial. They are usually held at Magistrates Courts, but because of security issues, this court hearing was held in Victorian County Court. Last year, there were problems when cameramen were physically assaulted outside Melbourne Magistrates Court in November. Anyone entering the court is subjected to bag searches and scans with metal detectors.

The committal hearing has now been adjourned until Friday.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 24, 2006 7:43 AM

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