Posted on 11/09/2005 10:02:29 PM PST by naturalman1975
Abdul Nacer Benbrika / Abu Bakr
Age: 45
Lives: Dallas, Melbourne
Born: Algeria; arrived in Australia in 1990; Australian citizenship in 1998.
Family: Married Rakia Abdullah in 1992.
Accused of being spiritual and organisational ringleader of terror cells in Melbourne and Sydney. Praises Osama bin Laden, advocates "violent jihad". Targeted by ASIO and the AFP since last year. Home raided in June.
Charge: Directing and being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Maximum penalty: 25 years' jail.
Shane Kent / Yasin
Age: 28
Lives: Meadow Heights, Melbourne Born: Australia
Family: Married to a Turkish-born wife with three children.
Travelled to Pakistan in mid-2001, attending al-Qaeda training camps with 20-year-old Abu Jihad, who was born in Canberra but also converted to Islam. He returned to Australia just before the September 11 attacks. Has reportedly attended sermons from radical Melbourne cleric Mohammed Omran.
Charge: Being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Maximum penalty: 10 years' jail.
Ezzit Raad
Age: 23
Lives: Preston, Melbourne
Family: Married with one child.
Had allegedly been questioned by police in the past
Charge: Being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Maximum penalty: 10 years' jail.
Abdulla Merhi
Age: 20
Lives: Fawkner, Melbourne
Family: Recently married. Wife, 18, expecting their first child soon.
Works as an apprentice electrician. Allegedly sought guidance from Benbrika on waging jihad in Australia. Was impatient to become Australia's first suicide bomber. Was refused bail yesterday. Has reportedly attended sermons from radical Melbourne cleric Mohammed Omran.
Charge: Being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in jail.
Fadal Sayadi
Age: 25
Lives: Coburg, Melbourne
Family: Newly married.
Reportedly works as a plumber or concreter. The family home, where he lived until recently, was raided by ASIO in June. Convicted this week on minor charges relating to an attempted theft. Has reportedly attended sermons from radical Melbourne cleric Mohammed Omran.
Charge: Being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in jail.
Ahmed Raad
Age: 22
Lives: Fawkner, Melbourne
Family: Married to Marianne, 22.
Accused of being the terror cell's treasurer, or "sandook". Has only been a practising Muslim for one year. His home was raided by ASIO in June. Has reportedly attended sermons from radical Melbourne cleric Mohammed Omran.
Charge: Being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Maximum penalty: 10 years.
Amer Haddara
Age: 26
Lives: Yarraville, Melbourne
Has reportedly attended sermons from radical Melbourne cleric Mohammed Omran.
Charge: Being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in jail.
Aimen Joud
Age: 21
Lives: Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne
Born: In Australia to Lebanese parents One of eight children, he lives with his parents.
Has worked as a site project manager for the family business, Joud Investments, for the past 10 months. Previously convicted of firearms and theft charges.
Charge: Being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in jail.
Hany Taha
Age: 31
Lives: Hadfield, Melbourne
Family: Married father of three.
A spray painter at a panel beater. Allegedly provided equipment for car "rebirthing". Police say he was in constant contact with Benbrika. Refused bail on terror charges.
Charge: Being a member of a terror group.
Maximum penalty: 10 years.
Mohamed Ali Elomar
Age: 40
Lives: Condell Park, Sydney
Family: Married.
Has family links to a NSW property thought to have been used by the Islamic Youth Movement. It is owned by three of Elomar's brothers and Maxwell William French and linked to Saleh Jamal, serving five years' jail in Lebanon on weapons charges, and Willie Brigitte, a French man arrested in Australia in 2003 with alleged plans to attack here.
Charge: Conspiring to make explosives for a terror attack.
Maximum penalty: 25 years to life.
Khaled Sharrouf
Age: 24
Lives: Wiley Park, Sydney
He is the brother of Miriam Sharrouf who is the best friend of Melanie Brown who was the former Australian soldier who married Willie Brigitte. Sharrouf's brother-in-law is Mohammed Ndaw who introduced Melanie Brown to Brigitte and was deported last year on security grounds to his native Senegal.
Charge: Conspiring to manufacture explosives in preparation for a terrorist attack.
Maximum penalty: 25 years to life.
Moustafa Cheikho / Abu Asad
Age: 28
Lives: Wiley Park, Sydney
Nephew of co-accused Khaled Cheikho.
The alleged conduit to the Melbourne cell, under constant ASIO surveillance. Believed to have trained in a paramilitary camp run by Kashmiri group Lashkar-e-Taiba. French terror suspect Willie Brigitte allegedly trained with him. Also linked to Sydney man Saleh Jamal, who is serving five years in jail in Lebanon on weapons charges.
Charge: Conspiring to manufacture explosives for a terror attack.
Maximum penalty: 25 years to life.
Mazen Touma
Age: 25
Lives: Bankstown, Sydney
Charge: Conspiring to manufacture explosives in preparation for a terrorist attack.
Maximum penalty: 25 years to life.
Omar Baladjam
Age: 28
Lives: West Hoxton
Born: Australia
Family: Married with two children.
Former actor in ABC TV's Wildside and Seven's Home and Away. Runs a painting business. Wounded in a shoot-out with police in Sydney.
Charges: 2 counts of shooting with intent to murder, 2 counts of shooting with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, 2 counts of shooting a person with "intent to resist apprehension", 4 counts of assaulting police and 4 counts of possessing an unauthorised and prohibited firearm, acting "in preparation/planning for terrorist act".
Maximum penalty: Life in jail.
Mirsad Mulahalilovic
Charge: Conspiring to manufacture explosives in preparation for a terrorist attack.
Maximum penalty: 25 years to life in jail.
Abdul Rakib Hasan
Age: 34
Lives: Lakemba
Born: Bangladesh
Runs the Indo Malay Halal butchery on Haldon St in Lakemba. He is accused of helping Willie Brigitte, allegedly arranging three safe houses while the Frenchman was plotting an attack in Australia. Has previously been charged with two counts of lying to ASIO.
Charge: Conspiring to manufacture explosives in preparation for a terrorist attack.
Maximum penalty: 25 years to life in jail.
Khaled Cheikho
Age: 32
Lives: Wiley Park, Sydney
Family: Uncle of co-accused Moustafa Cheikho.
Has been under constant ASIO surveillance. A staunch supporter of the strict Salafi interpretation of Islam, he is believed to have trained in a paramilitary camp run by outlawed Kashmiri group Lashkar-e-Taiba in early 2001. He is linked to Saleh Jamal.
Charge: Conspiring to manufacture explosives in preparation for a terrorist attack.
Maximum penalty: 25 years to life in jail.
I take it Australia has no death penalty.
They'd send in their children to blow innocents up if they couldn't do it themselves.
Unfortunately not. Some lawyers have expressed an opinion that it does still exist in theory for High Treason, but nobody wants to test that, unfortunately.
What scum!
and not a single Swede amongst them...what a surprise.
Any details on what, specifically, these people were up to yet?
Best indications are they were planning something similar to the London and Madrid bombings in Sydney and an attack on public buildings in Melbourne (they were seen filming the Australian Stock Exchange in Melbourne, and the Flinders Street train station, and apparently floorplans of Casselden Place - the main Commonwealth government building in Melbourne - were found in Tuesday's raid). Explosives were also recovered in Sydney - they started manufacturing them from chemicals.
Thanks. Probably all set to go off simultaneously, no doubt. Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach.
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