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| Down Under |
| Sydney terrorist accused of targeting energy supplies |
| 2004-04-23 |
| After a six-month investigation across three countries, police have arrested the alleged mastermind of a planned major terrorist attack on Australia’s energy supplies. Faheem Lodhi, 34, of Punchbowl, was charged with seven terrorist offences yesterday. Along with the deported Frenchman Willy Brigitte, he is believed to be the nucleus of a bomb plot which authorities believe would have centred on Sydney. Lodhi is accused of having sought information on the nation’s energy supplies, including electricity and oil. Lodhi’s arrest comes a week after Pakistani-born university student Izhar ul-Haque was charged with training with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group. It also follows admissions by Brigitte - who has been linked to the top ranks of al-Qaeda - that Lodhi was the alleged Sydney commander of a developing terrorist cell. To Brigitte, Lodhi was known as Abu Hamza. Central Local Court heard yesterday that ASIO had observed Lodhi, an architect, dumping documents in a bin. The retrieved material had included photographs downloaded from the internet showing the layout of the Sydney-based military facilities Holsworthy Army Base, Garden Island Naval Base, Victoria Barracks and the HMAS Penguin base in Balmoral. The Joint Counter Terrorism Task Force has yet to establish the specific target for the first strike. Lodhi’s lawyer, Stephen Hopper, told the court his client was mild-mannered, married and a professional architect. "He has never expressed views he hates people who are non-Muslim. He loves Australia and would not want to hurt any Australia citizen in any way." Yesterday’s arrest is the culmination of a long investigation in Australia, Pakistan and France. During interrogation in Paris, Brigitte identified a photograph of Lodhi and described him as the representative of LeT in Australia. He also revealed details of a network planning an attack. The French judge alerted Australian security forces, urging an investigation into what he concluded were plans for a "terrorist act of great size in Australia". Brigitte also told French authorities that he had attended an LeT training camp in Pakistan where he met a Pakistani man, Sajid, who later organised and paid for his trip to Australia. He said Sajid had ordered him to link up with Lodhi. Brigitte recalled Lodhi telling him to expect an unnamed house guest at Brigitte’s Wiley Park flat, possibly an explosives expert. The French dossier says Lodhi had the keys to the flat and would organise "meetings there with the brothers". |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #1 What a surprise, he lives in Punchbowl! Just deport Punchbowl and Lakemba: no more problems! |
| Posted by: Anon1 2004-04-23 4:36:18 AM |