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| Down Under |
| Australian court told six sought "violent jihad" |
| 2008-10-27 |
| Six alleged Sydney jihadists obtained, or sought to acquire, a stockpile of chemical weapons capable of causing "substantial damage and loss of life", potential jurors have been told. Counsel for the prosecution Richard Maidment SC said they were driven to wage violent jihad against the Australian public by fervent Islamic beliefs in martyrdom. Mr Maidment on Monday addressed the first 220 potential jurors at the trial of Bradley Umar Sariff Baladjam, 31, Khaled Cheikho, 35, Moustafa Cheikho, 31, Mohamed Ali Elomar, 43, Abdul Rakib Hasan, 39, and 24-year-old Mohammed Omar Jamal. The six have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit acts in preparation for a terrorist act, and are standing trial in the NSW Supreme Court. Offering a "thumbnail sketch" of his case, Mr Maidment said the accused were among a group of at least nine western and south-western Sydney men allegedly planning one or more terror-related acts. Literature, images and video were found in their possession which advocated the activities of "notorious persons such as Osama bin Laden" and the pursuit of martyrdom through jihad. "Each of these men were apparently strong adherents to the Islamic faith and were each motivated by a particular religious, political or ideological cause, that being the pursuit of violent jihad," Mr Maidment said. "In essence that meant that the accused were motivated to carry out violent activities against members of the Australian community as a whole, in pursuit of their ideals." Mr Maidment said the men obtained large quantities of firearms and ammunition between July 2004 and November 2005, as well as significant amounts of chemicals such as acetone and hydrogen peroxide. They also had detailed written instructions on how to manufacture explosives "capable of causing substantial damage and loss of life", he said. Justice Whealy said the trial was expected to run for up to a year, with up to 700 witnesses, with brief breaks over Christmas and Easter. Five thousand potential jurors have been summonsed, and the selection process is expected to take the rest of the week. The two-week crown opening is expected to begin next Wednesday, November 5. |
| Posted by:ryuge |