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2019-07-03 Down Under
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3 arrested over alleged terror plot against Sydney embassies, defense facilities
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 [IsraelTimes] Suspects detained after suspicious online activities, accused of links to Islamic State; police say one man returned from Leb in 2018 and planned to fight in Afghanistan..
Australian police on Tuesday arrested three men accused of links to the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group over an alleged plot to attack cop shoppes, embassies and defense facilities in central Sydney.
The men ‐ aged 20, 23 and 30 ‐ were arrested in raids in the city’s suburbs after their online activities raised suspicion.
Two of them will face charges of being members of a terrorist organization and of preparations to carry out terror attacks.
"We will say that they had a number of targets, including cop shoppes, defense establishments, embassies and councils, courts and churches," Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney told news hounds.
The plots were said to be in the "early stages," but included moves to import weapons and explosives to target facilities in the central business district.
The third man ‐ described as an "associate" ‐ will be charged with lesser offences.
New South Wales police assistant commissioner Mick Willing said the men "knew each other via social media" including WhatsApp and Telegram, and shared a "like-minded philosophy."
Late last year, Australia passed controversial laws allowing spy agencies and police to access encrypted communications from suspected criminals and terrorists.
Police said one of the suspects had come under the watch of authorities after returning from Leb last year, alleging he had made plans to go to Afghanistan to fight with the Islamic State.
Police said there was no further threat to the public.
Isaak el Matari, 20, and a 23-year-old associate were arrested by counter-terrorism police in raids across the city's west and southwest on Tuesday.
Both will later be charged with being members of a terrorist organization and Matari with allegedly plotting a terrorist attack.
Matari, who was last year arrested in Leb accused of planning to join ISIS in Syria, will also be charged over alleged plans to fight in Afghanistan. The ISF alleged Matari contacted an ISIS cadre in Syria and was willing to 'carry out a suicide or explosive operation in Leb'.
A third man, aged 30, known to the other two men, but not involved in the alleged plot, was arrested in the raids over alleged Centrelink fraud.
The 23-year-old was also allegedly 'prominent in the global online Death Eater community'.
Assistant Commissioner Willing said police believed the alleged plot was contained to the two men arrested.
He said police discovered the alleged plot after Matari was deported back to Australia from Leb last year and was immediately put under surveillance.
Assistant Commissioner Willing said the alleged plot was the 16th police had foiled since the terror threat level was raised in 2014.
A 23-year-old man is expected to be charged with being a member of a terrorist organization, the Islamic State group. He could be imprisoned for 10 years.
A 30-year-old man who is an associate of the other two was expected to be charged with obtaining financial benefit by deception through fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits. He too faces 10 years in prison. The men are expected to appear in a Sydney court by Wednesday.
 | Going back a year ago, when Mr. el Matari was sent back in disgrace from Lebanon, we get this interesting background on our not-so-lone wolf from ABC-Australia: |
The court dossier said Mr Matari had told [Lebanese] interrogators he had been encouraged to join IS in Syria by Sydney man Adnan Baradaaji, who is the head of Australian charity Dar Al Koran Wa Sunnah.
The charity, which is based in Sydney and Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
, was established to raise money for Syrian refugees but Lebanese authorities accused several of its members of fundraising and recruiting for IS.
Leb's military prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Mr Baradaaji in 2015 in absentia on allegations of fundraising for jihadists.
Several other members of the charity have been charged in Leb including the founder of its Lebanese arm, Ibrahim Barakat, who was arrested in 2015 and described himself to Lebanese interrogators as the religious leader of IS in the country's north.
Sources close to Mr Matari have told the ABC he was involved with the charity before he left for Leb.
According to Mr Matari's court dossier, he told interrogators he had planned to sneak into Syria through the Lebanese border town of Arsal, which is the site of a sprawling refugee camp where Dar Al Koran Wa Sunnah claims to operate.
Mr Matari allegedly told interrogators that after festivities broke out in Arsal between jihadists and the Lebanese Army last July, he decided to take another route to Syria from Leb's far north.
SYDNEY CHARITY TARGETED BY AUSTRALIAN POLICE
Dar Al Koran Wa Sunnah has also been the target of counter-terrorism police investigations in Australia.
In 2016, two of its members' homes were raided in an Australian Federal Police operation targeting a multi-million-dollar fraud on Australia's family daycare system which police suspected was funding IS.
Senior counter-terrorism sources have told the ABC the operation was investigating intelligence that more than $13 million in Commonwealth childcare benefits and subsidies was funnelled to the terrorist group.
The charity's then secretary, Ali Assaad, was arrested and pleaded guilty to a fraud offence totalling only $5,080.
Mr Assaad was handed a good behaviour bond for dishonestly intending to cause a loss and knowingly making a false or misleading statement.
No conviction was recorded and he was ordered to repay the Commonwealth.
ORGANISATION STILL REGISTERED AS A CHARITY
Dar Al Koran Wa Sunnah continues to operate as a charity in Australia, registered by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
The charity collected nearly $1.9 million in donations from Australians in the past two years, according to financial statements lodged with the ACNC.
The ACNC yesterday refused to answer whether it had taken any action against Dar Al Koran Wa Sunnah, despite telling the ABC in 2015 that the charges against Mr Barakat in Leb would "absolutely" trigger an investigation.
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Posted by trailing wife 2019-07-03 00:00||
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Posted by Dron66046 2019-07-03 06:02||
2019-07-03 06:02||
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