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Terror raids foil jihad bomb plot: court

Tuesday Nov 8 2005

Australia's biggest anti-terror operation has foiled an imminent bomb attack by a group committed to killing innocent women and children in the name of jihad, it is alleged.

At least one of 16 men charged following coordinated raids in Melbourne and Sydney was prepared to martyr himself in a suicide attack, a Melbourne court was told.

Members of two groups in Sydney and Melbourne had undergone military training, had guns and had gathered chemicals like those used in suicide bombings on the London Underground in July, it was alleged.

Fearing a looming attack, hundreds of ASIO, federal and state police officers raided properties in the two cities early Tuesday, seizing chemicals and computers.

One suspect was shot and wounded in Sydney after opening fire on police.

Police and governments said the massive operation had prevented a potentially "catastrophic" terrorist attack.

"I'm satisfied that we have disrupted what I would regard as the final stages of a large scale terrorist attack ... here in Australia," NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said.

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said he believed police had disrupted "probably the most serious preparation for a terrorist attack that we have seen in Australia".

No potential targets were revealed, but senior police said they assumed Sydney and Melbourne were high on any hit list.

The arrests followed Prime Minister John Howard's warning last week of a potential terrorist threat, and the urgent passing of an amendment to anti-terrorism legislation that authorities said played a major part in the operation.

Previous laws had required police to name a specific target before they could act.

Sixteen men - nine in Melbourne and seven in Sydney - were charged with offences including conspiring to manufacture explosives in preparation for a terrorist act, and being members of a terrorist organisation.

Melbourne Muslim cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 45, also known as Abu Bakr (Bakr), was also charged with directing the activities of a terrorist organisation.

Nine men appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court, where prosecutor Richard Maidment said the group had "no respect for human life".

They believed "it is permitted in certain circumstances, in pursuit of violent jihad (holy war), to kill innocent women and children", he said.

The seven charged in Sydney did not appear in court and all 16 were refused bail. No evidence was presented.

A 17th terror suspect was shot and wounded by police after opening fire on officers near a mosque at Green Valley in Sydney's west at 9am (AEDT).

A police officer was slightly wounded in the shootout, after which a bomb squad robot found a second handgun in the suspect's backpack.

The man, in his 20s, was in a stable condition under police guard in hospital, and was expected to be charged.

Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty said the operation was far from finished.

"There's a lot more work to go, this operation will continue for some months to come," he said.

The raids were the culmination of a 16-month surveillance operation and the suspects in Melbourne and Sydney were alleged to have worked together, police said.

Some of those arrested had been targeted by ASIO raids in June, said Melbourne lawyer Rob Stary, who is representing several of the men.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said authorities acted because they were concerned an attack was imminent.

But there was no indication that next year's Commonwealth Games was a target, she said.

The group in Sydney was alleged to have been stockpiling chemicals capable of making explosives and were believed to be planning an attack, said NSW Premier Morris Iemma.

"Thankfully the police forces of this country might just have prevented a catastrophic act of terrorism in this country," added NSW Police Minister Carl Scully.

Mr Moroney drew comparisons with anti-terrorism operations in London and Madrid, which he said took place after attacks took place.

"We were not prepared to wait for an event to happen," he said.

The seven in Sydney were arrested after police executed warrants in Lakemba, Belmore, Wiley Park, Greenacre, Illawong, Punchbowl, Hoxton Park, Condell Park, Ingleburn, Belfield, Bankstown and Kemps Creek.

At least five of those arrested in Sydney were Australian citizens.

The nine from Victoria were arrested during raids in Dallas, Hoppers Crossing, Fawkner, Preston, Coburg, Yarraville, Meadow Heights and Hadfield.

Mr Stary said no materials had been seized in Victoria to indicate an imminent terrorist strike.

In Sydney, defence lawyer Adam Houda said the charges were scandalous.

"There's no evidence that terrorism was contemplated or being planned by any particular person at any particular time or at any particular place," he said.

Islamic leaders said they feared renewed hatred of Australian Muslims following the raids.

Australian Federation of Islamic Councils chief executive Amjad Mehboob said the raids had frightened Muslims, who were worried about terrorism like everyone else.

"But they are doubly concerned about the fallout," he said.

Muslim leaders in Sydney and Melbourne said hate crimes against Muslims had increased in recent weeks and feared that would escalate further as a result of the raids.