Anti-terrorism laws - links update #15 | Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

Police did not rely on new laws, say lawyers
SMH, 10 Nov 2005, By Michael Pelly Legal Reporter
The Melbourne nine are being held on charges that have no relation to the legislation rushed through the Senate last week, but convictions are now more likely for the Sydney eight, according to lawyers. - http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/police-did-not-rely-on-new-laws-say-lawyers/2005/11/09/1131407700582.html

MPs to begin debating new terror laws
SMH, 10 Nov 2005,
Federal MPs will begin debating the government's tough new anti-terror laws in parliament. - http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/MPs-to-begin-debating-new-terror-laws/2005/11/10/1131407712195.html

Chemical owner 'tipped off police'
Adelaide Advertiser, 10nov05
THE owner of a chemical supply company in southwest Sydney tipped off police about a series of unusual purchases before authorities carried out early morning raids on Tuesday.
Police followed up the call to the terrorist hotline two weeks ago, shortly before Prime Minister John Howard revealed intelligence had been received about a home-grown terrorist plot. - http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,17197781%255E1702,00.html

Terrorism: Australian PM accused of alerting suspects
AKI Italy, Sydney, 9 Nov. (AKI)
As Australians digest the arrests of seventeen terror suspects in the country's biggest ever anti-terrorism operation, prime minister John Howard has come in for media criticism for 'tipping off' the suspects involved. Police raided the houses in Sydney and Melbourne of men they say were trying to buy chemicals similar to those used in the 7 July London bombings. Last week, Howard said police had specific information about a possible terror attack.
An Australian intelligence analyst has told Adnkronos International (AKI) the government's handling of the case raises serious questions about its anti-terrorism strategy. - http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.226907242&par=0

Aussies: Terrorists competed in plots
Indianapolis Star, United States - 9 November 2005
Two Islamic terrorist cells were competing to become the first to stage a major bombing in Australia, a prosecutor said Tuesday after police arrested 17 men in a series of raids in two cities.
About 500 police arrested nine men in Melbourne and eight in Sydney, including one man critically hurt in a gunfight with police. Police said they expected more arrests. - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051109/NEWS06/511090498/1012

Australia terror evidence probed
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 9 November 2005
Detectives have examined evidence seized in a string of raids on Tuesday in two Australian cities that police said headed off a major terror attack and led to the arrest of 17 suspects. - http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2216442005

Fresh terror charges to follow: police
Sydney Morning Herald - 9 November 2005
A former actor has become the 17th person charged in the wake of anti-terrorism raids, as Australia's Muslims say they fear a redneck backlash against their community. - http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Fresh-terror-charges-to-follow-police/2005/11/09/1131407685481.html

Terror 'won't go away': Moroney
Advertiser Adelaide, Australia - 9 November 2005
Terrorism was a "lifelong investigation" that would never go away, New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said today. Anti-terrorism raids early yesterday in Sydney and Melbourne led to the arrest of 17 terrorism suspects and police are confident they have foiled a large-scale terror attack. Sixteen have so far been charged. -

Redneck gang fear after terror raids
Herald Sun, 10nov05, Nicolette Burke
MUSLIM leaders have called for increased police patrols around mosques and Islamic schools to protect against "redneck" vigilante gangs. - http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17195653%5E2862,00.html

A day that forever changed our lives
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - 9 November 2005
HOME-grown terror cells in Melbourne and Sydney accused of plotting a "catastrophic" chemical or explosive attack were smashed during early morning raids yesterday. - http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17185324%5E661,00.html

Imam at odds with Howard over raids
SMH, 10 Nov 2005
The leading Sydney Muslim cleric Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly, has publicly disputed the Prime Minister's assertion that the anti-terrorism laws were not aimed at the Muslim community. - http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/imam-at-odds-with-howard-over-raids/2005/11/09/1131407700552.html

New terror laws could strip citizenship
SMH, November 10, 2005 - 2:34AM
The federal government is considering introducing laws to strip Australian citizenship from convicted terrorists, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said.
However, he said no final decision had yet been made on such a law and conceded it would be impossible to deport stateless people. - http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/New-terror-laws-could-strip-citizenship/2005/11/10/1131407712195.html

Terror raids spark call for visa review
SMH, November 9, 2005 - 9:31PM
Liberal MP Sophie Panopoulos is calling for multiple entry visas to be reviewed to stop "mad-men" clerics visiting Australia.
Ms Panopoulos says she has written to Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Minister John Cobb, calling for changes to existing laws to enable multiple entry visas to be cancelled easily. - http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Terror-raids-spark-call-for-visa-review/2005/11/09/1131407700330.html

Beattie steps up implementation of anti-terrorism laws
ABC Online, Australia - 9 November 2005
The Queensland Government will accelerate preventative detention legislation through State Parliament before the end of the year.
Premier Peter Beattie says officers from his department and the Department of the Attorney-General have been meeting with police.
I've instructed them, despite the short timeframe, to have Queensland's preventative detention provisions ready for enactment by the end of the year - http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1501093.htm

Australian press horrified by home-grown terror threat
Mail & Guardain online, 09 November 2005 08:22
The alleged emergence of a home-grown terrorist threat was a chilling development that dispelled any lingering misconception Australia was immune to attack, newspapers said on Wednesday. - http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=256048&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/

Politically manipulated police raids in Australia
Asian Tribune, 2005-11-10 By Mike Head - World Socialist Web Site
In the largest such operation yet seen in Australia—reportedly involving 850 federal and state police and intelligence personnel—heavily-armed officers burst into at least 23 homes in Sydney and Melbourne in the pre-dawn hours of yesterday morning and arrested 17 Islamic men on vague and unspecified terrorism charges. Today, raids are still continuing in Sydney, amid angry protests by family members. - http://www.asiantribune.com/show_article.php?id=2835

Blog Views

Votes, Polls and Bills
Ninth space
A bizarre poll in today’s Times newspaper implies that 50% of Conservative Party voters support David Davis as the new leader of the party, compared to 37% for David Cameron. Why is this bizarre? Two reasons:
_1 _Conservative Party voters, i.e. those that support the party, don’t vote in the leadership election. It’s only members, and previous polls have indicated that they prefer David Cameron.
_2 _The same Times/Populus poll shows that 45% of voters think that David Cameron is more likely to win a general election, compared to 11% for David Davis.
Australia is also debating this issue, however, they are discussing extending... Secretary Jack Straw is coming back from Russia for a crucial vote on the Terrorism Bill. Chancellor... as that. Which brings me to the Terrorism Bill. The core issue appears to be the length of time suspects should - http://www.ninthspace.org/blog/archives/2005/11/09/votes-polls-and-bills/

Australians All Let Us Rejoice...
I, Mary Jo
Anti-terror laws have been passed in Australia. Hurrah. Democracy at its best. Hurrah. IMG Former Family Court chief justice Alastair Nicholson described the legislation as, "the greatest... the freedom of people suspected by authorities of terrorism or sedition. http://akoozaf.blogspot.com/2005/11/australians-all-let-us-rejoice.html

Finally Malaysia Beats Australia and the UK
MalaysiaWatch
In the wake of September 11 and the Iraq War, many countries have passed laws to combat terrorism.
In Australia they want to change the laws so a person can be held for 14 days before being charged. - http://malaysiawatch.blogspot.com/2005/11/finally-malaysia-beats-australia-and.html

Australia - Honorable Or Hostile?
Spaces
This is a fairly general rant, to do with this 'glorious' country we call our own. But what makes it so glorious? Absolutely nothing. I am ranting today to prove that Australia is a little less than 'glorious'.
I am ranting today to prove that Australia is a little less than 'glorious'. I could... to Australia wanting to be like America. No doubt John Howard is the biggest suck-up to George W. Bush that we have ever seen. We have evidence of this with the War on Iraq, the new Anti-Terrorism Laws - http://spaces.msn.com/members/scizzorz/Blog/cns!1pGC2NvgFCL5XmLdzN5BGZtA!740.entry

Australia Says Two Cells Were Competing
The O'CONNOR Factor
Two Islamic terrorist cells were competing to become the first to stage a major bombing in Australia, a prosecutor said Tuesday after police arrested 17 suspects in a series of coordinated pre-dawn raids in two cities. - http://cruelkev0.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-says-two-cells-were.html

Perception & Acceptance of Anti-Terrorism Laws
Mooiness!
For the new and "enhanced" anti-terrorism laws to be accepted by the Australian public... targetted specifically. This is inevitable. It has taken quite a few years for us Chinese in Australia... and what our PM had done today. From this article :Mr Howard told Muslims in Australia they were - http://mooiness.blogspot.com/2005/11/perception-acceptance-of-anti.html

The Hangman - Not a Game this time.
Welcome to your senses
Do not read this if you are very kind-hearted and flimsy to emotions.
Well, Ive warned you enough. Go further at your own risk. I am going to Cut and paste an article that I read on a web-site that spoiled my day. It gave me the effect of watching a Virumandi Movie.
So, the Australian Magazine has come out with the interview of the Executioner who... forces. In recent years, special courts have also extended the penalty to cases of terrorism under - http://avyukta.blogspot.com/2005/11/hangman-not-game-this-time.html

Is this a contrast?
rANT, rAVE eTC Tom Reynolds
I am vigorously opposed to terrorists. In this country they are not freedom fighters (and that is not to say they are freedom fighters in other countries), they are little more than brainwashed morons:
"All stand," they were told, but someone said: "He's not allowed to."
Abdullah Merhi, a sharp-featured 20-year-old apprentice electrician from Fawkner, leaned forward from the front row of the dock. "Nobody can ask me to stand up but God," he said.... They had all been bugged, investigated, followed and sorted out. When they left Australia, the Federal Police handed the Indonesians a dossier that even they couldn't f*** up... the AFP has to share information with police forces in the region if Australia is to stop drug smuggling - http://thomasr.blogspot.com/2005/11/is-this-contrast.html

Indonesia

Indonesia police say key Asia terror suspect killed Reuters, UK, Wed Nov 9, 2005 5:26 PM GMT15By Heri Retnowati
MALANG, Indonesia (Reuters) - One of Southeast Asia's most wanted Islamic militants, Malaysian Azahari bin Husin, was killed along with several other suspects in a fierce gunbattle with Indonesian police on Wednesday, officials said.
National police chief General Sutanto said Azahari might have been shot dead by police or could have killed himself after a crack anti-terrorism unit surrounded his villa hideout in the town of Batu in East Java province. - http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-11-09T172638Z_01_WRI957901_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-INDONESIA-AZAHARI.xml

UK

The collapse of Teflon Tony
Times Online, Nov 9 2005 by Peter Riddell
Tony Blair no longer commands. Teflon Tony is dead. He can now only survive as Prime Minister by the consent of Parliament, and his own Labour MPs. Forget all the excuses, the vote yesterday afternoon was a turning point. It was not only Labour’s first defeat in the Commons since 1997, but it was by a huge 31 vote margin. The result is a huge blow not just for Mr Blair’s authority but also for Labour’s credibility as a governing party. - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1053-1865582,00.html

We have to resist Blair's arm-twisting to protect civil liberties
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 9 November 2005
THE threat of terrorism is real and the impact of any attack devastating. That is the clear lesson of the strike on London in July and the lingering lesson of the 9/11 attacks. It is why, today, MPs are discussing a range of new anti-terror measures. There isn't a single serious politician who does not want to give our police sufficient powers to identify, track and disrupt the terror networks. But that does not mean we must accept, without question, the most extreme measures now insisted upon by the Prime Minister. - http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=2215132005

Blair’s bill and civil liberties
Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates - 7 November 2005
By Mohammed A. R. Galadari
THE Tony Blair government is going ahead with its plans to push the anti-terrorism bill through in parliament. This, despite the fact that Opposition Conservatives and large sections within the ruling Labour are opposing the bill. - http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/comment/2005/November/comment_November8.xml&section=comment

Four questioned after terrorism raids
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 9 November 2005
FOUR people are being questioned at a Glasgow police station after they were arrested in an anti-terrorism operation, it emerged yesterday. - http://news.scotsman.com/glasgow.cfm?id=2216102005

US

Rumsfeld can authorise exceptions to torture law
The Age, Washington November 10, 2005 - 7:06AM
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld can authorise exceptions to a new Defence Department policy on military interrogations that bars torture and calls for "humane" treatment of detainees, a spokesman said today. - http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/rumsfeld-can-authorise-exceptions-to-torture-law/2005/11/10/1131407725825.html

From the papers

Webdiarist Peter Croft asks if this headline from the West Australian yesterday is worth a complaint to the Press Council. The headline says:

Australia gave this illegal Algerian migrant a job and a safe place to bring up his six children. He showed his gratitude by telling us Osama bin laden was a great man, and now police say Abdul Benbrika leads a gang of Muslims who want to blow their countrymen to smithereens.

West Australian headline

Peter says: "I don't like the guy either, but to me, this headline is designed to incite and stir up the race haters among us ( a tiny minority, for sure!). I'm considering making a Press Council complaint. Am I taking offence at nothing? This isn't reportage. Does it matter?"

What do other Webdiarists think?

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Re the headline in The West Australian about Abdul Benbrika.

Isn't it the duty of every patriotic Australian to return the sins of the father to every last one of those Benbrika kids? Then they will grow up and there will be six more to make cause for cheap, inflammatory headlines.

From Why
Paris is burning by Ehsan Ahrari:

Now the "wretched" - to paraphrase Franz Fanon's classic Algerian war of independence study, The Wretched of the Earth - of contemporary France have turned to violence in order to claim what should be theirs to begin with, a dignified existence in their homeland. But they are not treated as if they are in the country of their birth. Reading the French press, one is shocked by the contemptuous behavior of today's French police, similar as it is to the conduct of racist cops in the American "Deep South" of the 1960s. The youngsters of North African origin are referred to by French police as "bougnoules", which is a verbal equivalent of the American racist slur for Arabs, "rag heads". As one report states, they (the youngsters of North African origin) are told to "Lower your eyes! Lower your eyes! - as if they had no right to look a police officer in the face. It's utterly dehumanizing. No wonder these kids feel so divorced from authority."

Some of the reporting on the recent raids is utterly outrageous, inflamatory and predudicial against those accused. A spokesman for all the different policing bodies involved really should clear up the doubts once and for all and tell us whether the PM's claims helped or hindered their investigations.

The positive thing to come out of all this - the apparent co-operation of our state and federal forces is admirable when one looks at the failures in the US of similar bodies who at times were at odds with each other before 9/11. There is a need to remove these forces from the perception of having been politicised and uncover the truth behind what seems purposeful leaks to selected media outlets.

My understanding is that Abdul Benbrika married a woman with Australian citizenship. How does this make him an illegal immigrant?

It seems al Qaeda may have given the Israeli embassy in Jordan a bell and advised them to pull out all the Israelis that were staying at the Radisson hotel that was bombed in Jordan last Wednesday. According to a report in Ha’aretz Israeli’s staying there were evacuated and escorted back to Israel just prior to the bombs going off. You just gotta ask: How come the Israelis got to hear about it so long before any one else?

Just to take my cynicism a little further, I wonder how long it will be before the US and Israel put 2 and 2 together and come up with… Syria?

With Muslims making up 1 in 6 percent of the world population and the vast majority of them being under 20, have faced oppression and wars most of their lives - Afghanistan, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, Indonesia and so on, especially Palestine - what the hell do we stupid white people think we are doing?

Over 1 in 6 are Hindus.
Another 1 in 5 are communists
There are millions of Buddhists, atheists and others.

Shall we purge the world of half it's population to satisy our own f..g racism?

Most of the worlds population is yellow, brown or black.

Shall we purge "our" world of them all to satify our superiority complex?

Throughout history nations like Germany have tried to do it to the Jews.

The Jews are trying to do it to the Palestinians.

The Chinese to the Tibetans. And on and on. The Indians and Pakistanis and let us not forget the tribal wars for centuries between Pakistanis and Afghanis.

In the US the Indian tribes are not all the same "natives", in Australia the Aborigines are not all the same.

WE are sowing the seeds of a whirlwind with our stupidity.

All newspapers would do well to consider printing such deranged headlines and the West Australian should remember the six children and their parents are Australian citizens, the kids were all born here for God's sake.

What a joke that while all this hysteria about chemicals for paint thinners being sold has been going on a nice big ecstasy plant has been operating in Sydney. Now they are actually doing something.

Another thing the media would do well to stop is headlines like "Condi Rice condemns the bombings in Jordan." Yeah? Well the whole bloody world except for she and her buddies and the twin demented poodles condemned the deliberate, cold blooded murder of tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis and they didn't give a stuff.

"Some people here would always blame Australia" :Jay White.

I doubt it Jay. Blame the polticians yes, the country, no.

I dont think it would matter what crimes some people commit against Australia and its people. Some people here would always blame Australia and themselves. Well they are welcome to that rather sick way of thinking if you ask me.

I am convinced just before their slaying their final words would be "I blame myself". Similar to battered wife syndrome.

Sid, I guess ‘al Qaeda’ is feeling a bit bad about the tragic loss of one who some may see as their ally. And head of Palestinian intelligence services no less?! A monumental cock up! You can be sure that those pesky ‘Syrians’ and/or ‘Iranians’ are behind it.

It appears that the AFP had a team of officers assisting the Indonesian police track the Bali bomber Azahari Husin, according to Mick Keelty. Which sounds reasonable and the outcome, if true, is a success.

But I wonder why then they simply handed over the Bali Nine to these same police and subsequently claimed that it was a matter for the Indonesians to take care of. Particularly as it's alleged this lot were plotting to bring drugs to Australia where presumably there would be a distribution network that could have been broken.

Ah, it turns out the head of Palestinian intelligence services was killed in the blasts.

Rather a lot of collateral damage, eh what? Naughty 'Al Qaida'!

Yep, Damian, that early warning to the Israelis is s sure-fire sign of 'Al Qaida' at work.

9/11, 7/7 - now in Jordan - they sure get the early call on a regular basis.

Must be reassuring to Israelis their 'intelligence' is so ahead of the game. Something of a concern to the rest of us, however?

Damian Lataan: "According to a report in Ha’aretz Israeli’s staying there were evacuated and escorted back to Israel just prior to the bombs going off. You just gotta ask: How come the Israelis got to hear about it so long before any one else?"

These are very serious allegations. I happen to know two people that are on the "inside" and I asked them to check it out. It appears you could be on to something so sinister and deadly it will ROCK the world to its core.

My sources lets call them Mulder and Scully it seems have come across the fact of a secret phone call before the actual blast. Although the man who rang is unknown he had a deep and serious voice. Lets just call him cancer man.

It seems we are nearing the final stages of the protocols of Zion. I don't know about you but that's it for me. It is time to make myself scarce I suggest you do the same while you still can!

Head for the hills! Head for the hills!

The plot thickens...

The LA Times has three paragraphs about Israelis receiving early warnings and being evacuated in advance.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israelis staying at the Radisson on Wednesday had been evacuated before the attacks and escorted back home "apparently due to a specific security threat."

Amos N. Guiora, a former senior Israeli counter-terrorism official, said in a phone interview with The Times that sources in Israel had also told him about the pre-attack evacuations.

"It means there was excellent intelligence that this thing was going to happen," said Guiora, a former leader of the Israel Defense Forces who now heads the Institute for Global Security Law and Policy at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "The question that needs to be answered is why weren't the Jordanians working at the hotel similarly removed?"

But Haaretz is now reporting the early warning story as a mistake, offering no explanation for how this 'mistake' happened - see No truth to report of Israeli evacuations before Amman bombs.

The mainstream media will now, on past experience, consign that curious aspect of the initial reportage to the memory hole.

I haven't heard 'my' ABC even bothering to report it at all - it's far too busy giving 'balanced accounts' of the really important issues of our time: the global scourge of Islamic terrorism, which Arab/Moslem country to beat up next and how many civil liberties we need to relinquish this month for the sake of a century-long 'war on terror'.

I'd say the neocons know a thing or two about 'framing' - in more than one sense.

Damian, click on the very same link that you pointed to, Ha'aretz, to reveal that there is no truth to this rumour. Israelis were escorted back to Israel by Jordanian security AFTER the bomb which killed one Israeli.
Hey, why let the truth get in the way of a good conspiracy theory!

Marilyn, it is ironic that in speaking out against racism you have managed to make an incredibly racist and offensive remark.

"Shall we purge "our" world of them all to satify our superiority complex?

Throughout history nations like Germany have tried to do it to the Jews.

The Jews are trying to do it to the Palestinians."

If this were true, Israel would have built gas chambers in the West Bank and Gaza rather than with drawing from the former and offering (numerous times) to withdraw from the vast majority of the later in exchange for peace.

To equate the victims of suicide / homicide bombings to Nazis is offensive in the extreme. You may not agree with the policies of the government of Israel but they are not the policies of mass genocide that you suggest.

Grant Ye, you’re right in essence but it’s actually the Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, (ha-Mossad le-Modiin ule-Tafkidim Meyuhadim)

The Institute of Conspiracy Theorists??

The Jordan bombings story gets even more confusing. First we are told that the bomb in the Radisson Hotel was planted in the suspended ceiling space. Later however, the story changes and now we are told they were ‘suicide’ bombers.

All that on top of the confusion about the Israelis being warned – or not – leaves far too many loose ends and nowhere enough questions being asked. The Institute's hallmarks are all over this one.

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David Roffey: {whimper} in Not with a bang ... 13 weeks 3 days ago

Jenny Hume: So long mate in Not with a bang ... 13 weeks 4 days ago

Fiona Reynolds: Reds (under beds?) in Not with a bang ... 13 weeks 6 days ago

Justin Obodie: Why not, with a bang? in Not with a bang ... 13 weeks 6 days ago

Fiona Reynolds: Dear Albatross in Not with a bang ... 13 weeks 6 days ago

Justin Obodie: Bye bye - and thanks for all them fishies in Not with a bang ... 13 weeks 6 days ago

Michael Talbot-Wilson: Good luck in Not with a bang ... 13 weeks 6 days ago

Fiona Reynolds: Goodnight and good luck in Not with a bang ... 14 weeks 14 hours ago

Richard Tonkin: Watch some of this crap and decide (link below) in A quick note on war and journalism 14 weeks 3 days ago

Margo Kingston: bye, babe in Not with a bang ... 14 weeks 4 days ago

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