 ACCUSED terrorist Joseph Terrence Thomas told police he had "plenty of opportunities" to pledge allegiance to Osama bin Laden during three months at his camp in Afghanistan, a court heard today. But he denied that he ever did, and told Australian Federal Police he had been angered by a suggestion put to him by an al-Qaeda member that a bomb attack in Australia could bring down the government. Mr Thomas, 32, of Werribee, has pleaded not guilty in the Victorian Supreme Court to a charge of intentionally receiving funds from a terrorist organisation between November 2002 and January 2003. He has pleaded not guilty to intentionally providing resources to a terrorist organisation from July 5, 2002 to January 4, 2003, and from November 1, 2002 to January 4, 2003. He also denies possessing a false passport on or about January 4, 2003.
Mr Thomas was arrested in Pakistan on January 4, 2003, by Pakistani immigration officials and interviewed by AFP agents Jason Williams and Steve Lancaster two months later. He told the AFP he trained for three months in 2001 at the Al Farooq camp in Afghanistan, which he later realised was run by Osama bin Laden, who visited to give lectures on jihad. Mr Thomas said he then stayed in Pakistani safehouses, which were visited by al-Qaeda members.
| Did he reveal details on their locations and the identities of their owners? |
He told police he was not a member of al-Qaeda and never put himself in the hands of senior members of the terrorist organisation. "I had plenty of opportunities sir, plenty of opportunities," he told the AFP officers in his interview, which was played to a jury of nine women and three men today. "Osama bin Laden was right there in front of me, three times. (I) could have come up to him and said 'listen mate, (I) pledge allegiance to this, this and this' to the big man. But I never did it. I thought about pledging alliance many times. And I thought, no I will not do that."
| "Nope, nope, couldn't do it, nope." |
Mr Thomas said he became angry and hurt when al-Qaeda member Khaled bin Attash suggested an attack similar to the bombings in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi would bring down the Australian government.
| Because you didn't want to take down your government, or because you didn't want to be considered just another splodydope? |
He said bin Attash gave him $US3500 and organised a ticket from Pakistan back to Australia. Thomas said bin Attash told him bin Laden wanted a "white boy" to work for him in Australia and that Thomas could carry out surveillance of military installations upon his return. Thomas said while he took the ticket and the money all he wanted was to see his family and the cash was given to him so he could look after his family. "I wanted to work, you know, but I never followed up these initial stupid thoughts of mine," he told police. |