|
Australian guilty of Israeli embassy bomb plot
Al-Qaeda recruit Jack Roche was today convicted of conspiring to bomb the Israeli embassy in Canberra, after changing his plea to guilty mid-way through his trial. The British-born Islamic convert had originally pleaded not guilty to one charge of conspiring to damage the Israeli embassy by means of explosives, and as a consequence harm diplomatic staff. But, when the indictment was read in Perth District Court this morning and Roche was asked how he pleaded, he replied: "Guilty". After being instructed by Judge Paul Healy that the only verdict it could bring was one of guilty, the jury then formally found Roche guilty. He now faces a possible 25 years in jail.Outside court, Rocheâs wife Afifah said she believed he changed his plea only because he was depressed. "He depressed because the questioning is around, around ... back again. Asked the same question," Mrs Roche said. "He doesnât want to speak any more. You know, heâs human being, I donât know, maybe prosecutor is not human being. He just asked again and again and again." During nine days of evidence, the court was told how Roche, 50, became a member of the South-East Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiah (JI) before being sent to Afghanistan via Pakistan. In Pakistan he met a senior al-Qaeda member he called Mukhtar, whom he later identified as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Roche was directed to return to Australia and carry out surveillance on the possible targets, and attempt to recruit up to three people for an Australian al-Qaeda cell. Posted by: Paul Moloney 2004-05-28 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=34123 |