CONVICTED terrorist Jack Roche has told a court a letter seized from the home of one of 13 Victorian terror suspects indicated its holder wanted to perform jihad "to the point of martyrdom".| Takes one to know one, eh? |
The British-born Australian, who lived in Perth, was asked by Australian Federal Police for his opinion about a letter written in Arabic and translated to English that was seized from the Yarraville home of one of the accused, Amer Haddara, 26. The letter, whose writer was not identified, states its holder is a “known friend to us and has a desire to go out in Allah the Almighty's cause”. It asks: “Please receive him and organise a suitable suite for him.”
The holder of the letter had a desire to perform jihad and possibly martyrdom, Roche said in a statement tendered to the court. “The phrasing of the letter lends itself to somebody intending to commit jihad in the way of Allah,” Roche said in the police statement. He said the most concerning aspect of the letter was the phrase: “Go out in Allah, the Almighty's cause.”
| Interesting way to make a living as a consultant, from behind bars, but I suspect he's right about this. |
Roche was jailed for nine years, with a minimum of four-and-a-half years, in June 2004 for conspiring to blow up the Israeli embassy in Canberra.
He said he needed a letter of introduction when he attended an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan in 2000 and suggested this letter may have been for a similar purpose. “It is definitely a possibility that this letter may be intended for use by a person who wishes to do some kind of training,” he said.
When questioned by Haddara's lawyer, Tony Trood, Roche agreed he had not read the contents of his own “letter of introduction”, also in Arabic, which he cannot understand.
Roche attended an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan and met its leader Osama bin Laden in 2000. While in Afghanistan, Roche agreed to conduct surveillance at the Israeli Embassy in Canberra, he told the court. He was also asked to monitor the movements of Melbourne Jewish business man Joe Gutnick and establish a cell in Australia comprising caucasian Muslims interested in jihad.
The other 12 men charged with being members of a terrorist group are Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 46, of Dallas, Aimen Joud, 21, of Hoppers Crossing, Fadal Sayadi, 26, of Coburg, Majed Raad, 22, of Coburg, Ahmed Raad, 23, of Fawkner, Abdullah Merhi, 21, of Fawkner, Hany Taha, 31, of Hadfield, Shoue Hammoud, 26, of Hadfield, Izzydeen Atik, 26, of Williamstown, Bassam Raad, 24, of Brunswick, Ezzit Raad, 24 of Preston and Shane Kent, 29, of Meadow Heights.
The committal hearing before Magistrate Paul Smith continues tomorrow.