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Kent swore allegiance to jihad before Binny
Australian terror suspect Shane Kent made a commitment to conduct jihad as a requirement for meeting al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, a Melbourne Court has heard. Kent, who is one of 10 men arrested in a series of raids around Melbourne last month, is charged with being a member of a terrorist organisation.

Along with co-accused Amer Haddara, 26, of Yarraville, Kent is seeking bail in Melbourne Magistrates' Court.

The 28-year-old father of three, from the Melbourne suburb of Meadow Heights, wanted to participate in jihad but was frustrated by the attention of Australian authorities, police said today.

Crown Prosecutor Nick Robinson told the court Kent spoke of his frustration to Melbourne Muslim preacher Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 46, who is charged with directing a terrorist organisation and supplying funds to a terrorist organisation. Mr Robinson read a transcript of a conversation between the pair, in which Kent allegedly said, "Sheikh, it's too hard here ... we can't move, we can't do nothing".

Detective Senior Constable Ben Condon gave evidence that Kent made the pledge to commit himself to jihad when he visited a training camp in Afghanistan before the September 11 terrorist attacks. "He made a pledge to jihad in front of Osama bin Laden," Mr Condon said. "They were required to do that if they wanted to meet him."

But Kent's defence counsel Peta Murphy denied any pledge or oath of allegiance was made by her client, saying the Crown case was weak. "He has no role in any alleged organisation ... there's no evidence of conversations of bombings or killings of Australians," Ms Murphy said.

She said the matter could take years to come to trial, given the 35,000 hours (or four years) of recorded conversations between alleged members of the alleged organisation. Police have relied on 57 hours of conversation for evidence.
That's good enough.
Haddara's lawyer Rob Stary said "gaping holes" existed in the evidence against his client, who intends to plead not guilty. Haddara's father, Maarouf Ali Haddara, gave evidence today that he would offer the family home as surety if his son was released on bail.

Mr Stary said his client had met Benbrika twice and had discussed whether it would be legitimate to participate in a jihad.
Gonna be hard to defend against that; I think an Aussie jury will come to correct conclusion about a desire to lop off heads.
"He's (Haddara) said to be in possession of some literature, literature that is lawful, that is available and may express an alternative view to western ideology," Mr Stary said.
Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-12-21
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=138038