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Down Under

No more jail - the library's terrible, terrorist insists

2012-04-13

A CONVICTED terrorist serving 14 years for his part in amassing stockpiles of bomb-making chemicals has argued he should not serve a further lengthy jail term for other crimes - because the Goulburn Supermax library is not up to scratch. Bradley Umar Sariff Baladjam, a bit-part actor who once appeared in Home & Away, told his psychologist he was "suffering at the hands of this regime" at Supermax, where he is classified "AA" high security. In Downing Centre District Court yesterday, Baladjam complained there were not enough books about maths and Islamic art in the library, and that its opening hours were limited. Has he considered asking his friends and relations to buy him the desired volumes? Surely they love him enough to spend £60 every two weeks...or perhaps they can find second hand volumes cheap on amazon.com. He said he liked to study mathematical patterns known as "fractals"in Islamic art but was having to rely on a Year 9 textbook. Ooooh. He likes to look at the pretty pictures. They needn't buy him expensive textbooks for that -- just do a quick Google search and print out the results. It,s a good mental exercise for him to figure out the mathematics for himself. His barrister Peter Lange said the Goulburn prison library was not adequate to "exercise the adult mind" of a prisoner left alone for hours and suffering "sensory deprivation". Baladjam was found guilty in 2008 of four terror offences between July and November, 2005. He was in court yesterday to be sentenced on gun charges arising from his arrest at Green Valley on November 8, 2005, when he shot at two police officers, grazing one on the hand.

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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.

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Down Under

Australian Terror suspect denied visit to dying Mother

2008-05-30

A man facing terrorism charges has been refused permission for further visits to the hospital bedside of his dying mother, the NSW Department of Corrective Services says. Sounds fair. I doubt if his potential victims' relatives would have gotten a chance to visit them prior to him blowing them up. Mohamed Ali Elomar is one of nine men facing terrorism related charges being held under tight security in NSW. A corrective services spokeswoman said the NSW Supreme Court granted Elomar, who is on remand, permission to visit his mother on Wednesday. That was pretty nice of them. Us infidels are like that. Elomar is being held at the Metropolitan Remand Centre at Silverwater, in Sydney's west. The court refused Elomar's application for a second visit to see his mother. Usually we're not like that until we run out of patience. "He applied to the Supreme Court to visit his mother and the court granted his release on compassionate grounds on Wednesday and the Department of Corrective Services Commissioner therefore directed to allow him out to see his mother and then he was returned to custody," the corrective services spokeswoman said. "He applied again today and was knocked back, I understand. His mother is dying." Gosh. My heartstrings have been ever so-o-o-o-o-o tugged. Elomar was accompanied by heavily armed officers during his visit to Bankstown Hospital, the Seven Network reported. Mom,on her deathbed, musta been so proud! Mohamed Ali Elomar, Bradley Umar Sariff Baladjam, Khaled Cheikho, Moustafa Cheikho, Abdul Rakib Hasan, Mohammed Omar Jamal, Mirsad Mulahalilovic, Khaled Sharrouf and Mazen Touma are accused of conspiring with each other, and others, to do acts in preparation for a terrorist act or acts.

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Down Under

Chemicals stockpiled for 'jihad on Sydney'

2007-03-09

NINE suspected terrorists allegedly stockpiled a cache of deadly chemicals as they plotted a "violent jihad" on Sydney. In what is being described as the biggest terror trial in Australia's history, Penrith Local Court yesterday heard for the first time detailed allegations against the nine alleged Muslim extremists. The men stand accused of plotting a massive terrorist attack on Sydney - with Lucas Heights nuclear plant the possible target. In her opening address, prosecutor Wendy Abraham QC claimed preparations for an attack involved chemical stockpiling, the collation of "extremist" documents and specialised terrorist training. The court heard documents written in Arabic showed step-by-step instructions on how to make deadly explosives such as TATP and HMTD. The materials were allegedly found during searches of their homes and vehicles, with one found hidden in a children's book called Choice Islamic Stories. Bradley Umar Sariff Baladjam, Khaled Cheikho, Moustafa Cheikho, Mohamed Ali Elomar, Abdul Rakib Hasan, Mohammed Omar Jamal, Mirsad Mulahalilovic, Khaled Sharrouf and Mazen Touma faced court together for the first time since their arrest during ASIO raids in November 2005. The court heard Touma had told his mother he was about to enter paradise and that "Allah's satisfaction is more important than yours". "He (Touma) spoke of Allah giving him a paradise for martyrdom," Ms Abraham said. "It is alleged he said his mother should be patient because tomorrow her children would be in paradise." The Crown alleges the defendants each played a role in conspiring to prepare for a terrorist attack by equipping themselves with the "knowledge, ability and means to prepare and plan for a terrorist attack". "They believed Islam was under attack and and in defence of Islam and other Muslims ... the primary tool was violent jihad," Ms Abraham said. The defendants allegedly obtained or attempted to obtain chemicals and necessary items that could be used in the construction of explosives. These include 50 litres of hydrochloric acid, 200 litres of sulphuric acid and more than 60 litres of hydroperoxide. It is also alleged the group had large amounts of "extremist" and instructional material as well as firearms and ammunition used in SKS and AK47 semi-automatic weapons. The court heard how the men shopped at chemists, hardware stores and discount shops in Sydney and Melbourne for chemicals and items such as PVC piping. The committal hearing, expected to run for at least two months, continues today.

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