Australia how-to jihadist jailed

SNIPPET: "A man who produced a do-it-yourself jihad book has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in Australia.

Bela Khazaal was found guilty last September of producing a 110-page book, in Arabic, entitled Provisions Of The Rules of Jihad.

This advised about terrorist acts such as exploding bombs, shooting down planes and assassinating people such as former US President George W Bush.

SNIPPET: "Khazaal, a former Lebanon-born Qantas Airways baggage-handler, compiled the book from a range of Internet sources, his lawyer George Thomas told the court at an earlier sentencing hearing.

Its full title is Provisions Of The Rules of Jihad - Short Judicial Rulings And Organisational Instructions For Fighters And Mujahideen Against Infidels."

SNIPPET: "He is the first person to be convicted on the charge of making a document connected with assistance in a terrorist act, which carries a maximum jail term of 15 years.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that US international terrorism consultant Evan Kohlmann, who was called as a witness at Khazaal's trial, described the book as a "do-it-yourself jihad" manual, aimed at people who "don't have Osama bin Laden's telephone number".

The Supreme Court heard that, in December 2003, a military court in Lebanon sentenced Khazaal to 10 years' hard labour for terrorism-related offences, including forming a terrorist association for the purpose of committing crimes against people and property."

ARTICLE FROM 2003link

Former baggage handler denies terror link June 11 2003 By Rob Taylor, Graeme Webber

Bilal Khazal, linked by the CIA to al-Qaeda, insists the claims are baseless.

A former Qantas baggage handler yesterday denied an intelligence report linking him to terrorism.

At the same time the Federal Government promised that security checks of airline staff would uncover any threats.

Reports compiled by the US Central Intelligence Agency had linked the former Qantas baggage handler, Bilal Khazal, to al-Qaeda and said he worked at Sydney's international airport before the Olympics in 2000.

He came under notice during a security review at the airport, and his passport has since been confiscated.

Mr Khazal was said to be planning terrorist attacks on US interests in Venezuela and the Philippines, according to a CIA report dated mid-June 2002 and based on intelligence from the Palestinian Authority.

But Mr Khazal has told Channel Nine that he was not linked to al-Qaeda, but said he, "like any Muslim", believed Osama bin Laden was a good man.

He denied he had ever been to Afghanistan or had met bin Laden.

Transport Minister John Anderson said new security arrangements would stop people suspected of terrorist links being employed. "People who hold airport security cards will now all face the toughest and most stringent background checks of any country in the Western world, including checks for political involvement and attitude," he said.

A terrorism expert, Clive Williams, said people working at airports should be vigorously checked before being cleared to go near aircraft.

REX airline chief executive Michael Jones said nobody could work inside the big airports unless they had a security check.

"I don't think there is a security risk, because it has been picked up," he said.

When asked why he left his job at Qantas, Mr Khazal told Channel Nine: "I left because I got damage on my back."

Mr Khazal now runs an internet site for the Islamic Youth Movement in Sydney.

The secret CIA report said the al-Qaeda leadership had "allegedly delegated responsibility" to Bilal Abdallah Khazal.

"Khazal is reportedly planning an explosives attack against some US embassies, and the current target is in Venezuela," the report said.

"Khazal also has plans to attack with explosives US interest in the Philippines." The CIA reported that Mr Khazal was born in northern Lebanon and moved to Australia in 1989, living on the outskirts of Lakemba in Sydney's south-west with his wife and two children.

He had worked with Islamic fundamentalist groups, the CIA said.

Mr Khazal said the US and Israel were behind all world terrorism, and he denied that al-Qaeda was responsible for the September 11 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. "It's all bullshit, like now, what they're talking about me," he said. "It's all without any proof."

Keysar Trad, vice-president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, said Bilal Khazal would have been arrested by now had he been seen as a security risk.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Mr Khazal's passport had been revoked because of security concerns.

Bilal Abdallah Khazal.

DID BBC NEWS SPELL THE NAME WRONG DELIBERATELY SO THAT HIS PAST WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO TRACE?

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.