Posted on 11/03/2005 11:27:39 PM PST by Fair Go
Terrorists primed for city blasts Ian McPhedran and Nick Butterly 04nov05
HOME-grown terrorist cells in Sydney and Melbourne have been stockpiling explosives and other material for attacks in the two cities.
State and federal police and ASIO agents were set to swoop on several properties in both cities once the first of the new anti-terrorism Bills was passed by Federal Parliament and signed into law by the Governor-General.
An advanced planning phase for an attack was uncovered by ASIO last weekend, according to security sources. They said the "marshalling" operation was well advanced and included explosives.
The threat was linked to raids conducted in both cities in June. Authorities also feared the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan this weekend could trigger action.
But because a specific attack was not imminent it was not necessary to raise the national threat level from medium to high.
Both state and federal police reacted angrily to the Federal Government's decision to go public with the "specific threat" and to recall the Senate to pass the first new anti-terrorism law to amend the Criminal Code.
Sources from the NSW and Australian Federal Police said that Prime Minister John Howard's move had potentially placed the year-long Operation Pendeness at risk.
They feared that the suspects could either flee or alter their plans before the law was changed yesterday.
The new law, the wording of which was amended from "the terrorist act" to "a terrorist act", is designed to make it simpler for police to charge suspects.
The terror cells include Islamic extremists who have been under surveillance for more than a year. Members have trained together on remote properties.
Phone intercepts have recorded them praising overseas terrorist attacks and wishing to conduct similar attacks in Australia.
Sources said police planned to raid up to eight properties in Melbourne and Sydney.
The raids related to individuals linked to the Pakistan-based Al-Qaeda offshoot Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Police also found evidence that suspects had conducted surveillance on the Melbourne Stock Exchange, Flinders Street Station, Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and two Sydney oil refineries.
The men are linked to Australian terrorist Saleh Jamal, who fled to Lebanon after a drive-by shooting at Lakemba police station in Sydney's southwest in 1998, and Bilial Khazal's Lakemba-based Islamic Youth Movement.
Terrorism expert Clive Williams said one of the men involved had been identified by an American informant from an LET training camp in Pakistan.
"And they've been talking to others in Melbourne apparently about what sort of targets they could attack," Mr Williams said.
Labor sources said that if there were no arrests by Monday, the Government's strategy would come under scrutiny.
"The steps that have been taken do raise a question about whether or not operational matters have been compromised," shadow attorney-general Nicola Roxon said.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said: "The comments that the Prime Minister made were checked by the agencies (so they) wouldn't conflict with the operations in which they are engaged."
Democrats and Greens MPs attacked the Government for fearmongering on terrorism.
In this age of terrorism a "timeout" must be taken in order to change the word "the" to "a". Australia must have their own form of the ACLU. A person can only shake their head in disgust.
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