Posted on 09/18/2003 10:42:15 AM PDT by knighthawk
A Melbourne Muslim cleric met a suspected terrorist in London to discuss recruiting Australians to fight with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, according to an indictment for an international terrorist court case.
The Australian has obtained a copy of the 692-page indictment which contains details of activities of two Australians with suspected members of al-Qa'ida in Europe.
Sheik Mohammed Omran is accused of meeting suspected British al-Qa'ida operative Abu Qutada - who allegedly played a key role in financing and organising the al-Qa'ida network from London.
At that meeting, according to Spanish authorities, Sheik Omran talked about recruiting Australians to fight with bin Laden's mujaheddin in Afghanistan.
The indictment states: "Mohamed Jamal Omran aka Abu Ayman, an Islamic extremist of Palestinian-Jordanian origin with Australian citizenship based in Australia who in 2000 personally visited Abu Qutada in London with Abu Suhaib and was involved in recruiting mujaheddin in Australia for sending to Afghanistan ... (he) visited Qutada again in London in the early part of June 2001.
"In 2002 he (Sheik Omran) met Abu Qutada in London to discuss recruiting mujaheddin to fight in Afghanistan." The Spanish indictment details the case against suspected terrorist leader Abu Dahdah and the al-Qa'ida cell based in Spain which Spanish Judge Baltazar Garzon accuses of participating in planning for September 11 attacks in the US.
The two Australians are not among the 35 charged in this case.
Using his alias Abu Ayman, the indictment says Sheik Omran made another visit to London and then went to Madrid to try to see Mr Dahdah but the meeting could not take place.
Mr Khazal is accused of publishing a magazine called the Call of Islam, four copies of which were found in Mr Dahdah's Madrid home.
Both men have repeatedly protested their innocence.
A former baggage handler at Sydney airport, Mr Khazal is a member of the Islamic Youth Movement in western Sydney. He is currently charged in absentia in Lebanon with links to a suspected Beirut terrorist group.
The indictment says Sheik Omran and Mr Khazal worked together to create the magazine several years ago.
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