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WORLD: Australian police foil terrorist plot
Frank Thorne, in Sydney4 Aug 2009
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A plot to massacre soldiers at bases in Australia in suicide terror attacks has been foiled by security services.
Four men have been arrested in raids which have averted what has been described as the worst terror attacks on Australian soil.
The plotters were said to be intent on becoming “martyrs”.
Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaeda were allegedly about to launch a shoot-out on a military base in Sydney, killing as many soldiers and civilians as possible before being killed themselves.
Other defence establishments were targets, including Australian SAS soldiers and their families in Western Australia, as punishment for the country's military involvement in Muslim states.
But a huge undercover operation by police and intelligence agencies pinpointed the cell linked to the terror movement al-Shabaab in Somalia.
Two members of the Melbourne-based group smashed today are believed to have travelled to Somalia to train with the group.
It is understood several members of the group wanted to fight in Somalia with al-Shabaab, but when travel became difficult, they turned their attention to an attack in Australia.
Authorities acted swiftly because they believed the plotters were in “an advanced state of readiness”. Seven months of surveillance resulted in 19 early-morning raids across Melbourne region today.
Codenamed Operation Neath, the operation involved at least 400 officers from the police forces and the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation. Four arrests were made immediately and a number of other people were being questioned, with more arrests expected.
The arrested suspects are Australian citizens of Somali and Lebanese decent, aged between 22 and 26, police said.
A 25-year-old Melbourne man, Nayef El Sayed, appeared in court charged with conspiring to commit an act in preparation for or planning a terrorist act at Holdsworthy army base near Sydney. He said he would not stand in court for any man except for God.
Magistrates have granted police extra time to question the other arrested men. A prosecutor alleged their intention was to become martyrs.
Australian Federal Police acting chief commissioner Tony Negus said later : “Details of the planning indicate the alleged offenders were prepared to inflict a sustained attack on military personnel until they were killed.”
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd praised the counter-terrorism investigation.
Reader views (10)
Jonny - can't you see the irony in what you say? As far as the terrorists are concerned, WE are the problem people, and they are trying to do exactly what you suggest!
So we have to stick to eternal vigilence by our security forces and due legal process when perpetrators are caught. I would also suggest that life imprisonment is the best punishment - they WANT to die as "martyrs", so keeping them alive is the best punishment for them.
- Nigel, London, 04/08/2009 13:16
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When are we going to accept the fact that we are tolerating an intolerant religion which is attempting to commit a global holocaust? Just because they aren't specifically targeting ONE section of society doesn't make it OK - it makes it a thousand times worse. They are targetting everyone who isn't born into their religion. That is WORSE than genocide and we are turning a blind eye, falicitating their sick religion, letting them build their mosques, have segregated schools, hate preaching, claim our benefits system, people traffick, arms deal, smuggle and sell heroin onto our streets to fund all of this. We don't even KNOW who half the people on our streets are whilst they have their 'refugee status' checked or whilst they're illegally here. But yet we sent thousands of our young men to fight overseas, hundreds have already been murdered in a futile war. And yet British citizens fight to prevent ID cards on the grounds of civil liberties. We will have no civil liberties if they had their way we will all be dead. Bring our soldiers HERE to fight a war HERE and stop facilitating their sickness on our benefits system in our country. We are at global war with these people. HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO TURN A BLIND EYE AND TOLERATE THE INTOLERABLE IN OUR CIVILISED SOCIETY???
- Real, London, 04/08/2009 12:49
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Michael, London - family, friends and distant relatives. i'd forgotten them but good idea though mate.
- Jonny, London, 04/08/2009 12:39
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Sounds like I will cross Australia off of my list of countries to escape to??
- Russell, London, 04/08/2009 11:52
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Yes, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just exterminate all the problem people. Well, no doubt, we are each of us a pain in the backside to someone else, so we all end up dead. The Sydney police should be congratulated for doing a good job, but we had better wait a bit as I seem to remember something like this being claimed a few weeks ago in the UK. Didn't it all come to nothing, as no evidence was found?
- Candidly, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 04/08/2009 11:29
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Its puzzling why Australia ever let these people in. Surely they could see the disaster its been in Western Europe.
- Fred, Horsham, 04/08/2009 11:11
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"doesn't matter what country or what continent. they really are a pain in the backside........these extremists should just be exterminated and be done with it."
How exactly would you have "exterminated" the 7/7 bombers prior to the event, given that the security services only knew about one of them and didn't rank him as a major threat?
Stalin was fond of killing off not merely suspects but also their families, friends and distant relatives just to make sure, but I'm not absolutely convinced that this was necessarily the best course of action.
- Michael, London, 04/08/2009 10:25
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I question the tactics being here. If the 'plot' was really active then the authorities should have let it go ahead, because they would then have been prepared. The terrrorists would have then been walking into a trap and every single one of them would have been executed in the very act. No unnecessary trials. No unnecessary expenses. Summary justice and a blow to the terrorists.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 04/08/2009 09:56
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doesn't matter what country or what continent. they really are a pain in the backside........these extremists should just be exterminated and be done with it.
- Jonny, London, 04/08/2009 09:14
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EDITED by admin @ 10.07 on August 4 2009
Religious/Racial
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 04/08/2009 09:06
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