I tried posting this before but kept getting some e-poster error, so if this article did make it through just ignore this one.
 POLICE have shot and wounded a terrorist suspect who allegedly opened fire on them this morning after he disobeyed an order to stop on a Sydney street. Unconfirmed reports say the man had been under surveillance by counter-terrorist police and was carrying a backpack when ordered to stop by police. The suspect tried to flee, reportedly firing gunshots at police before officers returned fire, hitting him in the abdomen.
The incident, at 9.30am, came just hours after hundreds of police officers raided houses in Sydney and Melbourne, arresting 17 people who were allegedly planning a "catastrophic" terrorist attack in Australia. The suspect has been taken to hospital and is in a serious but stable condition.
This morning's raids involved around 400 police officers in Australia's two largest cities this morning. Police and government officials said the raids had "disrupted ... the final stages of a large-scale terrorist attack". Prominent radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakr was among those arrested in the raids.
"Stick 'em up, Abu!"
"I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece!" |
It has been claimed the group was stockpiling chemicals that could be used to carry out a terrorist attack on the scale of the London and Madrid train bombings. Nine of the suspects were arrested in Melbourne while a further six were held in Sydney. Charges against those arrested include acts in preparation of a terrorist act, being a member of a terrorist group, and conspiracy to commit a terrorist act. One man has been charged with directing a terrorist organisation.
Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said documents and computer hard drives had been seized and that in Sydney some chemicals had been seized. Searches are still being carried out at addresses in the two cities. The nine Melbourne suspects, including Abu Bakr, are expected to appear in court this morning.
| "Rise and shine, boyz! Don't keep the judge waitin'!" |
The arrests come just days after the Federal Government rushed changes to anti-terrorist legislation through Parliament. Prime Minister John Howard warned the changes were necessary because "specific intelligence and police information" indicated a group was close to carrying out a terrorist spectacular on Australian soil. NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said 400 federal and state officers were involved in the Sydney raids alone, and they achieved a major breakthrough.
| Like Abu's door, perhaps? |
The simultaneous raids, at 2.30am (AEDT) in both cities, resulted in six arrests in Sydney and nine in Melbourne. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said the nine in Melbourne had been charged with a range of offences and would appear in court this morning. She said the raids in both states, the largest anti-terrorism operation seen in Australia, included 23 search warrants across Melbourne's north and west. Mr Moroney also said police had not identified any targets. "We believe ... that we've disrupted a large scale operation which, had it been allowed to go through to fruition, we certainly believe would have been catastrophic," Mr Moroney said. Police would oppose bail for the suspects when they faced court later today, Mr Moroney said. In Melbourne, lawyer Rob Stary said he would be acting for people charged in the city's northern suburbs.
| "They were just innocent teachers of the Koran, in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were targeted because of their religion. If they didn't have turbans and... ummm... automatic weapons... and... ummm... explosives... ummm... never mind. |
The charges mainly involved membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation, he said. "I assume it's one of the Islamist organisations that have been proscribed (by the Federal Government)," Mr Stary said on ABC Radio National. |