Posted on 08/03/2009 5:55:00 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Several Australian men have been arrested in a series of counter-terrorism raids across Melbourne after police uncovered a plot by Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaeda to mount a suicide attack on an Army base.
Four men were under arrest this morning and several others were assisting police with inquiries after 400 police officers and members of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) swooped on 19 properties shortly before dawn.
Authorities believe the group, of Somalian and Lebanese background, was at an advanced stage of preparing to storm an Army barracks in retaliation for Australia’s military involvement in Muslim countries. Members of the group had been observed carrying out surveillance on Holsworthy Barracks in Western Sydney and on other Army bases in Victoria.
Electronic surveillance also picked up discussions about how to obtain weapons to carry out what would have been the worst terror attack on Australian soil.
“The men’s intention was to get into the army barracks and kill as many as they could,” Tony Negus, Australian Federal Police acting commissioner said. They were “planning to carry out a suicide terror attack . . . a sustained attack on military personnel until they themselves were killed,” he added.
Simon Overland, Victoria Police Commissioner, said that police launched the raids after it “got to a point where we decided it was appropriate to act”.
It is understood the cell is linked to the Somali-based terror organisation al-Shabaab, a militant group affiliated to al-Qaeda. Members of the group recently travelled to Somalia to undergo training with the organisation, according to The Australian newspaper.
Police launched the terror investigation, dubbed Operation Neath, after listening in to a phone call between an Australian-Lebanese man they had been monitoring, and a Somali living in Melbourne,
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
FYI, there are 16,000 Somalis living in Australia. Hard to tell how many of them have links to terrorists in Somalia.
We just don’t understand Islam. That’s all it is. It’s our fault. Really.
At least these guys planned to attack a military base. They’re a wee bit braver than the cowards that bomb buses, malls and pizza palors.
The smart move would be to let them go ahead with their attmpt to storm the base. Then cut them down with machine-gun-fire.
That’s how the Thai Army handles it.
Works great.
Saves a lot of money in court costs as well.
“At least these guys planned to attack a military base. They’re a wee bit braver than the cowards that bomb buses, malls and pizza palors.”
Well maybe...but the Fort Dix plotters knew that the only people armed on an Army Post are MPs and they are very lightly armed.
The Army is anti-gun. That is the Army likes its guns all lined up, counted, and locked in racks. Iraqi veterans, even E-7 and higher and field grade officers are not allowed to just go armed with their private weapon. There might be more armed resistance at the Pizza Parlor.
“It is understood the cell is linked to the Somali-based terror organisation al-Shabaab, a militant group affiliated to al-Qaeda”
This islamic terror-group is alos linked to 4 ‘Dutch’ (3 Somali, one Moroccan) terrorists arrested:
Dutchmen grilled over Al-Shabaab (arrested before joining jihad in Somalia)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304277/posts
Now, how many Somali’s are there in the USA?
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