Yet more evidence that the global Jihad is gathering steam, with a huge terrorist plot in the spotlight Down Under as a terror trial gets underway.
The leader of an alleged home-grown Muslim terrorist group talked of an attack that would kill 1000 people, a Melbourne terror trial heard today.
Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 47, said that in order to make the Government withdraw Australian troops from Iraq a large-scale operation was needed.Prosecutor Richard Maidment SC said that Mr Benbrika, in conversation with another member of the terror group, said an attack was needed that “would make the Government sit up and take notice”.
“They were intending something big,” Mr Maidment told the jury in his opening statement.
“To cause maximum damage. To cause the death of a thousand…. by use of a bomb.”
The group of Melbourne men bent on violent Jihad planned terrorist attacks on football games or train stations to maximise deaths, the jury was told.
And the director and leader of the alleged terrorist group in Melbourne gave them permission to kill women, children and the elderly, the court heard.
The prosecutor said that according to Mr Benbrika Australia was a country at war and used the term ‘Kuffur’ to describe infidels who did not believe in violent Jihad.
Mr Maidment said that Mr Benbrika believed that it was permissable in pursuit of violent Jihad to kill and steal from the Kuffur.
“Their blood and money is fair game,” Mr Maidment said.In his opening of the Crown case against 12 men accused of a number of terrorist offences, Mr Maidment said the group was prepared to launch an attack overseas but Australia was the preferred target.
He told the jury much of the evidence they would hear was contained in recordings of intercepted telephone conversations and from hidden listening devices.
From these conversations it was clear, he said, that the accused became concerned that their conduct was being monitored by authorities.
They used a number of conversational, security and anti-surveillance tactics to try and conceal their activities.
Mr Benbrika used at least 10 different mobile phones and eight of those were registered in false names and addresses.
Another accused, Aimen Joud, 23, had 13 different mobile phones , 12 of them in false names and registered at false addresses.
Mr Maidment said Mr Benbrika’s concerns that their activities were being monitored by ASIO and police played “a not insignificant role” in slowing the group’s activities and may have stopped them carrying out a terrorist attack.
The prosecutor said that although Mr Benbrika was the leader others in the group were not “shrinking violets”.
They would argue and make their points of view quite clear to Mr Benbrika.
“They should feel comfortable about the killing of innocent citizens,” prosecutor Richard Maidment SC, told the Supreme Court.
He said that the group’s leader, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, who was also known as Sheik Abu Bakr, used the term Kuffar to describe infidels who did not believe in Allah or subscribe to violent Jihad.
According to Mr Benbrika the term ‘Jihad’ had only one meaning in the Koran and that was fighting the Kuffar.
So much for “inner spiritual struggle.”
Mr Maidment said that in a secretly taped conversation another accused, Abdullah Merhi, asked Mr Benbrika if killing their intended victims would be pleasing to Allah.
Mr Benbrika replied:”You are pleasing the Almighty”.
On trial are 12 Muslim men, accused of a number of terrorist offences including fostering or preparing an attack involving the use of explosives or weapons.
According to its self-styled ‘Sheik’ and leader, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, Australia was a land at war and it was the duty of all Muslims to participate in violent Jihad, prosecutor Richard Maidment SC said.
Opening the Crown case against 12 men accused of a number of terrorist offences, Mr Maidment said the group was prepared to launch an attack overseas but Australia was the preferred target.
“The case is about a homegrown terrorist organisation which grew and operated between July 2004 and November 2005 in the suburbs of Melbourne,” Mr Maidment said.
The members were all male and all Muslim and their purpose, according to Mr Benbrika, was “Jihad in Allah’s cause”.
“By that he meant a violent form of Jihad,” Mr Maidment said.
The prosecutor said in one secretly recorded conversation between Mr Benbrika and another accused, Abdullah Merhi, Mr Benbrika said they were planning something big.
In the conversation, Mr Benbrika says they are not talking about “one or two or three” deaths.
Mr Merhi says “like Spain?”.
Mr Maidment said it was the the Crown case that Mr Merhi was referring to the terrorist attacks in Spain in 2004 where 191 people were killed and 2000 were injured.
Mr Maidment said Mr Benbrika was also heard in a conversation saying Osama bin Laden was a “great man” and praising al-Qaida.
The prosecutor warned the jury that Islam was not on trial and Mr Benbrika’s views did not reflect the true views of Muslims or of any other religious group.
An undercover operative attempted to infiltrate the group, Mr Maidment said in his opening of the Crown case, and had a meeting with Mr Benbrika where ammonium nitrate was discussed.
The operative suggested that 250kg of ammonium nitrate could blow up a large building and Mr Benbrika asked the operative if he could get hold of 500kg for him.
The prosecutor said Mr Benbrika was suspicious the operative might be a police officer and told him the authorities knew someone in Melbourne was planning a terrorist attack.
Mr Benbrika said they should wait but couldn’t say how long.
He also told the operative the group needed money to buy weapons and chemicals.
Mr Maidment told the jury videos, CD’s and other material found in the homes of some of the accused gave a strong clue about the “glue” that held the group together.
It was pro-violent Jihad and murder, praised the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and provided “a revealing window into the kind of matters that interested the accused”, he said.
Videos found in the possession of Mr Benbrika, Mr Kent, Mr Joud and Mr Merhi showed scenes of beheadings of victims in orange overalls like the ones worn by detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
In the videos armed and hooded men would sever the head of a victim with a large knife and then hold it aloft.
There were also videos of snipers shooting American soldiers in Iraq.
Literature was found in Mr Joud’s possession including ‘The terrorist’s handbook’, ‘The white resistance manual’ and ‘The car bomb recognition guide’.
Mr Maidment said the material showed the groups interests and its collective intention of fostering and preparing for terrorist attacks.
That was “Jihad and martyrdom” which would lead to “entry into paradise”, he said.
The prosecutor told the jury the Crown case was mainly encapsulated in the secretly conversations between members of the group. He told them there were 482 that would be played during the trial.
He said there would be little dispute about what was said, although some of them were in Arabic.
On trial before Justice Bernard Bongiorno are: Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 47, of Dallas, Shane Kent, 31, Meadow Heights, Majed Raad, 23, Coburg, Abdullah Merhi, 22, Fawkner, Aimen Joud, 23, Hoppers Crossing, Ahmed Raad, 24, Fawkner, Fadl Sayadi, 28, Coburg, Ezzit Raad, 26, Preston, Hany Taha, 33, Hadfield, Shoue Hammoud, 28, Hadfield, Bassam Raad, 26, Brunswick and Amer Haddara, 28, Yarraville.
The charges include intentionally being members of a terrorist organisation involved in the fostering or preparation of a terrorist act.
Justice Bongiorno has already advised jurors they will be required to devote a large slice of their lives to a case which is bound to be as complex as it is lengthy.
Justice Bongiorno has empanelled the 15 jurors – calling for three more than normal in case of attrition.
He warned all of the 1200 potential jurors that came before him last week that they must put prejudice aside and to excuse themselves if they thought they could not.
“There are people in our community who hold, and sometimes express, attitudes which might be regarded as hostile to, or discriminatory towards, Muslims simply because they are Muslims,” Justice Bongiorno said.
I would venture to say that most Australians “hostile to, or discriminatory towards, Muslims” are not “simply because they are Muslims” but because of terrorist attacks like the one planned, and the relative lack of unqualified condemnation of terror emanating from the Muslim community. Add Sheik Hilaly to the mix, and I’m guessing the gang rapes also do not help.
As a general comment, notice how although the terrorists wanted to make the Government withdraw Australian troops from Iraq, this could not be construed as the root cause of their terrorism, but rather a goal derived from the real root cause: a belief in the restoration of the Islamic Caliphate (Al Qaeda’s primary goal). Unless you understand this, you stand no chance of defeating this malignant enemy.