Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CANBERRA1140
2008-11-12 06:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:  

TRIAL COMMENCES FOR FIVE MEN ACCUSED OF PLOTTING

Tags:  PTER PGOV AS 
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VZCZCXRO8413
PP RUEHPT
DE RUEHBY #1140 3170612
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 120612Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0502
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE 5754
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 4024
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 3963
UNCLAS CANBERRA 001140 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PGOV AS
SUBJECT: TRIAL COMMENCES FOR FIVE MEN ACCUSED OF PLOTTING
TO COMMIT ACTS OF TERROR

UNCLAS CANBERRA 001140

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PGOV AS
SUBJECT: TRIAL COMMENCES FOR FIVE MEN ACCUSED OF PLOTTING
TO COMMIT ACTS OF TERROR


1. (U) The trial of five Sydney men accused of conspiring to
commit a terrorist act or acts began November 11 in
Parramatta, a New South Wales suburb of Sydney. The men,
Khaled Cheikho, 35, Moustafa Cheikho, 31, Mohamed Ali Elomar,
43, Abdul Rakib Hasan, 39 and Mohammed Omar Jamal, 24 were
found to have a cache of literature and video describing
beheadings and touting Jihad as a fast route to heaven.
According to Crown prosecuters the men attempted to obtain
bomb-making materials and had procured a number of books on
the process. The trial will hinge on prosecution efforts to
describe "mileston events" such as travel by Elomar to
Pakistan for paramilitary training and the subscription to
mobile phones using false names and identifying information.


2. (U) The trial is expected to last nine months to a year.
The jury pool that resulted in a 15 person panel began with
five thousand potential jurors. The Attorney General's
Department (AGD) has made no public statement on the process,
but with regard to terror trials has told post that success
hinges on greater cooperation between investigators and
prosecutors. Post will continue to monitor the proceedings.

MCCALLUM