Melbourne jury convicts militants

[Ter]

Melbourne jury convicts militants

A Muslim cleric and five of his followers have been convicted of belonging to a terrorist group which allegedly planned attacks in Australia.

A jury in Melbourne found Abdul Nacer Benbrika guilty of leading the group.

The cell was accused of planning to stage "violent jihad", targeting the prime minister and major sports events.

Four other men were acquitted. Charges are pending against two others, in what is being described as Australia's biggest-ever terrorism trial.

During the long-running trial, prosecutors had argued that the group planned to attack a grand football match that attracts nearly 100,000 people every year in Melbourne.

The cell was also accused of plotting to assassinate former Prime Minister John Howard, who had authorised the deployment of Australian troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.

No attacks took place. All 12 men had pleaded not guilty.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7615922.stm

[frodo]

It's going to be interesting to see if any of them appeal. We have a rather high profile head of the Australian Federal Police (Mick Kealty) who has a bad habit of self promotion that has resulted in quite a few bungled "terrorism" cases, notably that of Dr. Haneef, that has now resulted in a Government inquiry and will probably end with Dr. Haneef being paid many millions in compensation.

Zillions of dollars in investigation costs, 16,400 hours of electronic surveillance, 98,000 bugged telephone calls and all they are convicted of is bar talk and possessing a CD full of crap anyone can find on the internet. Twenty one days of jury deliberations. These clowns never got beyond the planning stage and don't look like the sharpest tools in the rack. It will be interesting to see what the judge thinks.

My real concern is the possibility of "professional" terrorists, who pay attention to things like being penetrated by informers, not these stumbling amateurs. As for getting explosives anywhere near the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Grand Final day, these clowns wouldn't have had a hope. Everything is searched and I can't even take a can of beer through the gates.

Benbrika, 48, was found guilty of directing and knowingly belonging to a terrorist organisation as well as possessing a compact disc containing information to prepare for a terrorist act.

The members of an alleged three-man leadership committee within the group, Aimen Joud, 23, security and intelligence officer Fadl Sayadi, 28, and treasurer Ahmed Raad, 25, were found guilty of knowingly belonging to a terrorist organisation and intentionally providing resources in the form of themselves to the group. Joud was also found guilty of attempting to make funds available to the group and two counts of possessing a compact disc with information on how to prepare to commit a terrorist act.

Ahmed Raad, the brother of two of the other accused, was also found guilty of attempting to make funds available to the group. Ezzit Raad, 26, and Abdullah Merhi, 23, were found guilty of knowingly belonging to a terrorist organisation.

Ezzit Radd was also found guilty of attempting to make funds available to the group, while Merhi was found not guilty of providing the group with resources by offering to become a suicide bomber. They will be sentenced at a later date.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...5-2702,00.html

[frodo]

News is now reporting they have all appealed (even before sentencing) and it turns out that the police star witness is a convicted felon serving five years for ...terrorism. The judge has also excused members of the jury from further jury duty for twenty years, which should tell you something about the merits of the case.