The Australianから。
08nov05
SEVENTEEN people, including a prominent Muslim cleric, were arrested
in raids involving some 400 officers in Sydney and Melbourne this
morning in an operation police said "disrupted ... the final stages of
a large scale terrorist attack".
Nine people were arrested in Melbourne, including Abu Bakr, a prominent
radical Islamic cleric who has praised Osama bin Laden, while another
eight were held in Sydney.
Those arrested in Melbourne are expected to appear in court this morning.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said the suspects
were "proposing to conduct a terror attack in Australia".
It would be "catastrophic" if successful, he said.
Some of the suspects are reported to have links to an outlawed
terrorist organisation.
The raids are still being carried out and involve searches of
properties in Australia's two largest cities.
In Melbourne, addresses at Preston, Dallas, Hoppers Crossing,
Fawkner, Hadfield, Coburg, Yarraville and Meadow Heights were raided.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said on ABC radio
this morning the suspects were "charged with a range of offences,
both state and federal offences."
"At this stage the matters we're talking to them about were not
related to threats to the Commonwealth Games." Melbourne will host
the 2006 Commonwealth Games next March.
A home in Wiley Park in Sydney's south-west has also been been
named as the target of one of the raids.
Some 400 officers, combining Australian Federal Police agents and
the state police forces in NSW and Victoria, were reportedly
involved.
Mr Moroney said some 15 homes were targeted. He expected the six
Sydney suspects would appear in court today.
The terrorist supects had been planning their attack for 18 months,
Mr Moroney said.
The swoop follows changes to the law that were rushed through
Parliament last week by the Federal Government.
Prime Minister John Howard said the changes were needed to help
police avert a terrorist attack.
"A number of search warrants are currently being executed in
Sydney and Melbourne as part of a joint operation by the AFP,
New South Wales Police and Victoria Police," an AFP spokeswoman said.
"These warrants relate to an ongoing investigation and as a result it
would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time.
"Maintaining operational security is paramount at this stage.
"We can confirm that the ongoing operation relates to the area of
counter-terrorism."
The raids follow Mr Howard's announcement last week that of a
"serious" terrorist threat, which necessitated the urgent legal
amendment.
The Australian reported the threat was linked to a group of Melbourne
men who were spotted filming possible targets.
The Government recalled the Senate for a special sitting last week
to pass one measure which widened the scope for authorities to
arrest terrorist suspects.
Labor, the Australian Democrats and the Australian Greens have accused
the government of playing politics with national security and trying
to scare Australians.
But Mr Howard last night rejected the claims, saying he announced
the changes to anti-terror laws because they were in the national
interest.
08nov05
SEVENTEEN people, including a prominent Muslim cleric, were arrested
in raids involving some 400 officers in Sydney and Melbourne this
morning in an operation police said "disrupted ... the final stages of
a large scale terrorist attack".
Nine people were arrested in Melbourne, including Abu Bakr, a prominent
radical Islamic cleric who has praised Osama bin Laden, while another
eight were held in Sydney.
Those arrested in Melbourne are expected to appear in court this morning.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said the suspects
were "proposing to conduct a terror attack in Australia".
It would be "catastrophic" if successful, he said.
Some of the suspects are reported to have links to an outlawed
terrorist organisation.
The raids are still being carried out and involve searches of
properties in Australia's two largest cities.
In Melbourne, addresses at Preston, Dallas, Hoppers Crossing,
Fawkner, Hadfield, Coburg, Yarraville and Meadow Heights were raided.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said on ABC radio
this morning the suspects were "charged with a range of offences,
both state and federal offences."
"At this stage the matters we're talking to them about were not
related to threats to the Commonwealth Games." Melbourne will host
the 2006 Commonwealth Games next March.
A home in Wiley Park in Sydney's south-west has also been been
named as the target of one of the raids.
Some 400 officers, combining Australian Federal Police agents and
the state police forces in NSW and Victoria, were reportedly
involved.
Mr Moroney said some 15 homes were targeted. He expected the six
Sydney suspects would appear in court today.
The terrorist supects had been planning their attack for 18 months,
Mr Moroney said.
The swoop follows changes to the law that were rushed through
Parliament last week by the Federal Government.
Prime Minister John Howard said the changes were needed to help
police avert a terrorist attack.
"A number of search warrants are currently being executed in
Sydney and Melbourne as part of a joint operation by the AFP,
New South Wales Police and Victoria Police," an AFP spokeswoman said.
"These warrants relate to an ongoing investigation and as a result it
would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time.
"Maintaining operational security is paramount at this stage.
"We can confirm that the ongoing operation relates to the area of
counter-terrorism."
The raids follow Mr Howard's announcement last week that of a
"serious" terrorist threat, which necessitated the urgent legal
amendment.
The Australian reported the threat was linked to a group of Melbourne
men who were spotted filming possible targets.
The Government recalled the Senate for a special sitting last week
to pass one measure which widened the scope for authorities to
arrest terrorist suspects.
Labor, the Australian Democrats and the Australian Greens have accused
the government of playing politics with national security and trying
to scare Australians.
But Mr Howard last night rejected the claims, saying he announced
the changes to anti-terror laws because they were in the national
interest.
