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Bin Laden's friend Jihad Jack freed by Australian judges By Nick Squires in Sydney (Filed: 19/08/2006) A British-born Muslim convert jailed in Australia on charges of receiving money and an airline ticket from al-Qa'eda terrorists, was freed last night after his conviction was overturned. Joseph Terrence Thomas, 33, nicknamed Jihad Jack after claiming that he had met al-Qa'eda's leader Osama bin Laden three times, was jailed for five years in March. But in a judgment seen as a blow to the Australian government, the appeal court in Melbourne ruled that some of the evidence used against him was not admissible....

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Bin Laden's right-hand man 'instructed' Istanbul bombers Two key suspects in the Istanbul suicide bombings reportedly met with and took instructions from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. Hurriyet newspaper, quoting from the testimony of another suspect, said Habib Aktas and Azad Ekinci met the al-Qaida chief's top surviving lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, several times. The two Turks are suspected of hatching the plans for the November 15 suicide bombings against two synagogues and on the British Consulate and a British bank five days later. A total of 61 people died in the attacks. "They were the only ones to meet with...

Pakistan claims to have captured Bin Laden's sons By Phil Reeves, Asia Correspondent 08 March 2003 Two of Osama bin Laden's sons were arrested in southern Afghanistan yesterday in a joint operation by Pakistani and US forces, a minister for Pakistan said last night. Sanaullah Zehri, the minister in charge of security in the province of Baluchistan, said the men had been picked up near Rabat in the south-west of the country where it borders Pakistan and Iran. Seven al-Qa'ida men were killed in the operation, he said. There had been reports of US military activity in the area. The...

Warships hunt for bin Laden's shadowy fleet By David Rennie (Filed: 01/01/2003) American intelligence agencies have identified 15 cargo ships used by al-Qa'eda to transport explosives and fighters around the world, it was reported yesterday. The discovery has triggered a global hunt for the ships, which constantly change their names and even hull colours. Intelligence agencies, backed by dozens of American and allied warships, are on non-stop patrol in the Arabian Sea seeking Osama bin Laden's shadowy navy, officials told The Washington Post. The search is now one of the largest naval hunts since the Second World War. America is...

'Bin Laden's will' accuses Muslims of betrayalAn Arabic magazine says it has obtained the will of Osama bin Laden. In the will, bin Laden is said to accuse fellow Muslim leaders of betraying him in the face of the American campaign to destroy al-Qaida. The London-based Al-Majallah magazine says the typed will is dated December 14, 2001, and signed by bin Laden. At that time, US forces were bombing the al Qaida stronghold at Tora Bora where bin Laden was believed to have fled after the collapse of rule by the Taliban. He accused Muslim leaders of betraying him and...

Global manhunt for Bin Laden's lieutenants September 17 2002 at 09:03AM Washington - US counterterrorism officials have identified two key lieutenants of Osama bin Laden - including an alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks - as the most active plotters of several al-Qaeda attacks during the past year. While many top al-Qaeda leaders went into hiding after September 11, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri have taken the lead in arranging new attacks with cells in the field, US officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Mohammed, a Sepember 11 organiser who has risen to be one of...