Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MELBOURNE94
2009-08-08 05:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Consulate Melbourne
Cable title:  

TERROR SUSPECTS CHARGED IN COURT

Tags:  PTER PINR PREL KVPR AS 
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VZCZCXRO7045
RR RUEHPT
DE RUEHBN #0094/01 2200547
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 080547Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL MELBOURNE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4986
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3629
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0006
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 1602
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 2121
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000094 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO HOMELAND SECURITY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2019
TAGS: PTER PINR PREL KVPR AS
SUBJECT: TERROR SUSPECTS CHARGED IN COURT

REF: A. MELBOURNE 93

B. MELBOURNE 92

C. MELBOURNE 18

D. 08 MELBOURNE 117

E. 08 MELBOURNE 66

F. 08 CANBERRA 909

Classified By: JUSTIN KOLBECK, POL/ECON OFFICER FOR REASON 1.4 (D)

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000094

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO HOMELAND SECURITY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2019
TAGS: PTER PINR PREL KVPR AS
SUBJECT: TERROR SUSPECTS CHARGED IN COURT

REF: A. MELBOURNE 93

B. MELBOURNE 92

C. MELBOURNE 18

D. 08 MELBOURNE 117

E. 08 MELBOURNE 66

F. 08 CANBERRA 909

Classified By: JUSTIN KOLBECK, POL/ECON OFFICER FOR REASON 1.4 (D)

Summary
--------------


1. (SBU) Following the August 4 terror arrests in Melbourne
(Ref. A),five men have been charged with conspiring to
prepare a terrorist act. Melbourne's Muslim communities are
bracing for public backlash in the wake of the arrests, but
there have been no confirmed incidents to date. While the
arrests have again raised the specter of terrorism, the idea
of a homegrown attack on Australian soil remains at most a
distant eventuality for many locals. End summary.

Charges Laid
--------------


2. (C) Five men were detained on terror charges on August 4
(Ref. A) in Victoria and have since appeared in court on
August 4-5. Saney Aweys, Nayef Elsayed, Yacqub Khayre,
Abdirahman Mohammed Ahmed, and Wissam Mahmoud Fattal are
charged with conspiring to prepare a terrorist act. Fattal
is a Lebanese citizen, Elsayed is a native born Australian,
while the others hail from Somalia. Yacqub Khayre returned
from training with Al Shabaab in Somalia on July 14. The men
allegedly discussed carrying out a suicide attack on Sydney's
Holsworthy Army Base, which appears to have been their
primary target. Other bases around Victoria were allegedly
discussed as targets as well.

Muslim Community Response
--------------


3. (SBU) In the immediate aftermath of the August 4 police
raids, leaders within the Muslim community released
statements condemning the attacks. The Australian
Intercultural Society released a scathing statement
criticizing the terror suspects and assuring the Australian
community that such acts are not condoned by Islam or by the
vast majority of Muslims living in Australia. Sheikh Fehmi
Naji El Imam, Mufti of Australia, spoke out against the
suspects and said he and other leaders supported the work of
the Victorian Police and Australian Federal Police. The

Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) also released a statement
warning its members to be vigilant of harassment, assault or
abuse towards Muslims that could be caused by backlash
following the arrests. The ICV noted that "past events
(have) often led to a rise in Islamophobia." There have
already been unconfirmed reports of assault directed at
Muslim women around Melbourne.

Links to Al Shabaab?
--------------


4. (C/NF) Police commenced their investigation after
discovering that some of the suspects were seeking to travel
to Somalia in order to join Al Shabaab, a militant Islamic
group with ties to Al Qaeda. On August 6, a purported Al
Shabaab representative released a statement saying "we have
nothing to do with (the suspects)" and disavowing any
relationship with them, although, Yacqub Khayre reportedly
trained with Al Shabaab in Somalia before returning to
Australia last month and Abdirahman Mohammad Ahmed is
believed to have funneled money to Islamist insurgents in
Somalia. Foreign Minister Smith publicly stated that the GOA
is examining "very seriously" the possibility of placing Al
Shabaab on Australia's list of terrorist groups.

Preston Mosque Connection?
--------------


5. (C/NF) Post met with Sheikh Fehmi at the Preston Mosque on
July 20. The mosque is one of the largest in Victoria and is
also home to the Islamic Society of Victoria. At least
three, and possibly all five, of the suspects reportedly
prayed at the Preston Mosque before moving to the less

MELBOURNE 00000094 002 OF 002


mainstream and allegedly more militant "Eight Blacks Prayer
Center" in North Melbourne. In our meeting, Sheikh Fehmi
denied any notion that his mosque preaches radicalism. In
addition, he has been outspoken in his praise for the police
work done in this case. However, post was struck during our
visit to the mosque by some of Fehmi's more conservative
perspectives. Fehmi and his aides indicated a level of
discomfort by recent attempts to "soften" Islam in order to
make it more appealing and less intimidating to Australia's
non-Muslim community. Referring to inflammatory remarks made
by a Melbourne based cleric who claimed that under certain
circumstances, marital rape was permitted (Ref. B),Fehmi's
chief aide almost sympathized with the cleric, saying that
there are interpretations within the Qu'ran that would
justify the statement.

Comment
--------------


6. (SBU) There has already been discussion about reviewing
security at Australian military installations in light of the
reported terror plot. Ironically, there were warning signs
as early as 2007 that some fringe members of the Somali
community in Australia were traveling to Somalia in order to
join the jihad against the Somali government. Sheikh Hersi
Hillole, chairman of the Somali Community Council of
Australia, publicly said in 2007 that young men returning
from their jihad mission in Somalia were more likely to
consider becoming involved in a terrorist attack against
Australia.

THURSTON