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| Down Under |
| Australians in Yemen planned to blow up Sydney Train Station |
| 2006-11-01 |
| THE two Australian brothers arrested in Yemen as suspected al-Qaeda terrorists were under observation over a suicide bomb plot to blow up Sydney's Kings Cross railway station. The Daily Telegraph can reveal that a terrorist cell was last year planning a London-style attack on peak-hour commuters at the busy underground station. The plot was three months in the planning before it was foiled last year by ASIO and NSW and Federal counter-terrorism police. Authorities believed the men were linked to plotters stockpiling a range of chemicals including acetone, known as "Mother of Satan", an explosive precursor used in the London bombings. Mohammed and Abdullah Ayub - arrested in Yemen accused of being members of an al-Qaeda cell and gun-running - were being watched because their father is Abdul Rahim Ayub, the former head of Jemaah Islamiah in Australia. Their mother, Australian-born Rabiah Hutchison, is a leader of a radical clique of Muslim wives, including those married to some of the men arrested over the Kings Cross plot. Ms Hutchison and her Islamic wives club regularly travel for "holidays" and religious instruction to Yemen, which is a hotbed of radical Islam. Authorities have only recently pieced together the web linking the Ayub brothers and their family to the plotters. The Ayubs were stopped at Sydney airport and spoken to by ASIO agents when they left for Yemen. Ms Hutchison's ex-husband Abdul Rahim, who tried to take over the Dee Why mosque on Sydney's Northern Beaches, fled Australia shortly after the 2002 Bali bombings. He was suspected of being involved with the attacks. His twin, Abdul Rahman, was deported in 1999 after his application for refugee status was refused. A third Australian arrested with Mohammed and Abdullah Ayub in Yemen during the CIA-led operation last month was last night revealed as Polish-born Marat Sumolsky. Sumolsky and Ms Hutchison have been on national security watch lists for several years. Australian consular officials have been unable to confirm reports that a fourth Australian is also in custody. Yesterday they were again refused access to the men. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia was not involved in any way in the Yemen operation. The three Australians captured in Yemen were picked up with five others including a Brit, Dane and German in an operation that has netted more than 20 suspects. The men are alleged to have been plotting attacks on oil facilities, an international airport and also running guns to Somalian militants Consular officials who travelled from Riyadh to Yemen hope to speak to local security forces officially and visit the Australian prisoners today. |
| Posted by:Oztralian |
| #3 The Sydney (and Melbourne) bombing plot (train stations, bridges, Sydney Opera House) was broken up last year and was led by mullah Abu Bakir. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-11-01 17:49 |
| #2 The three Australians captured in Yemen were picked up with five others including a Brit, Dane and German in an operation that has netted more than 20 suspects. The men are alleged to have been plotting attacks on oil facilities, an international airport and also running guns to Somalian militants |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-11-01 17:25 |
| #1 Why would Australians go to Yemen to blow up a Sydney train station? Seems a bit out of the way. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-11-01 17:19 |