AFP uncover plot to attack government building, two arrested in overnight raids

Two arrested in fresh counter-terror raids
Documents seized that pointed to an attack on government building
No connection to Martin Place siege
The dual arrests come a day after Prime Minister Tony Abbott said there had been a “heightened level of terror chatter” in the aftermath of the Martin Place siege
TWO men believed to be part of a terror plot to attack a government building in Sydney were arrested in overnight raids by a joint terrorism task force.

The Australian Federal Police seized a “significant amount of material” including documents with enough detail to “facilitate a terror attack” in a raid last Thursday which were followed up by arrests on Tuesday night.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan confirmed the arrests by Operation Appleby officers.

“Certainly the documents talked a little bit about potential government targets and so on and what that did, coupled with other things that were seized during the search warrant gave us significant concern to act early,” Deputy Commissioner Phelan said.

Those potential targets were around federal and state facilities in Sydney, he said.

A 20-year-old was arrested at his house in Regent’s Park on Tuesday afternoon and a 21-year-old Marsfield man was taken into custody as part of continuing investigations into the alleged planning of a terrorist attack on Australian soil.

The older man had breached a control order.

“Last night as a result of activity by the joint counter-terrorism team two people were arrested,” Deputy Commissioner Phelan said.

“There was enough (material) there that gave concern to us that something was being planned.

“They were charged in relation to having a document that was designed to clearly facilitate an attack.

“I want to assure everybody that this is part of an ongoing activist that’s commenced over a period of time.

“There is no threat to security.”

The terrorism threat level remains high, meaning a terrorist attack is likely but not imminent.

He said the group under investigation had no contact with Martin Place siege gunman Man Haron Monis.

When asked about the nature and size of the group they have been investigating, Phelan added:

“Certainly their ideology is linked to IS overseas.

“It is a group of people here in Sydney that we’ve been actively monitoring for a long period of time now and any action they take we want to try to get ahead of them.

“I am confident that we’ve disrupted the activity that they were planning. And that is all I’m prepared to say at this particular point.”

The arrests follow Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s warning that there had been “a heightened level of terrorist chatter” following the Martin Place siege last week, and assured police and intelligence agencies were actively carrying out counter-terror operations.

“I’m alerting people to that fact the terror threat remains high. At this level an attack is likely,’’ he said.

‘‘We don’t know when and how ... but we do know there are people with the intent and the capability to carry out further attacks.

“I want to reassure you, though, that our law enforcement agencies and our security agencies will be working around the clock to keep you as safe as possible over the holiday season.”

When asked about the safety of the city, NSW Police Deputy Commisioner Catherine Burn said:

“It’s very, very important for the community to have the confidence that we are doing everything that we can to ensure the safety and as we into Christmas and new year that investigation will continue.

“We have heightened police activity and presence around public places and transport hubs and that involves a whole range of our police and that will be in place up until new year and of course on New Year’s Eve.”

The arrests are in relation to the raids in September during which 800 police were involved in counter-terrorism raids across Sydney’s west and northwest.

A total of 15 people were detained in that operation. Properties were also raided in Brisbane involving a further 70 police

Police claimed the arrests in September foiled a terrorist plot to “commit violent acts” including a plan to behead someone in a public place.

Both men arrested will appear in Parramatta Court today.

Why halal certification is in turmoil

Kirralie Smith is a permaculture farmer from northern New South Wales and a mother of three. She is also the public face of the virulent campaign to boycott halal food and products.

Halal means permissible for Muslims to eat or use, and Smith's Facebook page "'Boycott Halal in Australia" has 41,000 supporters. She speaks at events organised by "Islam-critical" groups such as the Q Society, which has also been involved in local campaigns to stop mosques being built. Her "Halal Choices" website, she says, gets 80,000 visitors a month.

She says her objection is not to Islam itself but the extra cost she thinks is imposed on Australian consumers by companies paying to have products – everything from milk to pies and shampoo – certified halal.

Halal products are certified as being free from anything that Muslims are not allowed to eat or use (such as pork and alcohol). The products must be made and stored using machines that are cleansed according to Islamic law.

Large processing plants will have Muslim staff members who are accredited in some instances to bless the factory. Halal slaughtering of animals in Australia is done after they are stunned.

Smith and her supporters claim halal certification is a scam by Muslim interests to raise money for mosques and therefore for "jihad." They base this assertion on media reports in France, Canada and the United States claiming certification funds had been paid to organisations linked to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The costs of certification vary between $1000 for a small company to $27,000 a month for a large abattoir.

.....

Accused terrorist plotter Mohammad Kiad a quiet nurse who loved luxury goods

A western Sydney man arrested over an alleged terrorism plot is a quiet nurse who never spoke about his religious beliefs to friends or colleagues at the removalist company where he worked.

Mohammad Kiad's social media profiles show a love for weight-lifting, Dolce and Gabbana, and Rolex watches.

However, police allege Mr Kiad, born in Kuwait, and his flatmate, Omar al-Kutobi, originally from Iraq, were about to use a large knife to harm or kill someone on Tuesday in a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State.

Mr Kiad, 25, and Mr al-Kutobi, 24, were arrested on Tuesday afternoon after counter-terrorism police raided the granny flat they share at the back of a property on Riverview Road, Fairfield.

Officers found a hunting knife, a machete, a homemade Islamic State flag and a video recording featuring one of the men referring to committing a terrorist attack on Tuesday.

The men declined to come into Fairfield Local Court from the cells on Wednesday and will reappear in Central Local Court on Thursday where there is tighter security and a capacity to appear via audiovisual link due to security concerns.

Police allege the pair, who worked together as removalists, were planning a gruesome Islamic State terrorist attack from the granny flat as revenge for incidents overseas.

It was not clear where the attack was going to take place or who would be targeted, only that it was going to happen on Tuesday.

"We believe the men were potentially going to harm somebody, maybe even kill somebody, potentially using [the knife]," Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said in a briefing to the press.

"The intent is clear."

Mr al-Kutobi moved to Australia from Iraq in 2009 and became a citizen in 2013. He was studying nursing and working at a Villawood removalist company.

Mr Kiad moved to Australia from Kuwait about four years ago but could not transfer his nursing qualifications.

He worked as a security guard before joining the same removalist company, although Fairfax Media understands he was sacked in the past week.

A former colleague said Mr Kiad was gentle, nice and never spoke about religion.

"He is quiet, friendly and seemed to be open-minded about religion," said the man, who did not want to be identified.

"He seems very quiet at first, but when you get to know him, he is actually a funny person. He never talked about Islam or anything to me."

A neighbour who lived in a backyard caravan next door to the men said they appeared to be friendly, but they grew agitated in recent months.

Roberto Macatangay told reporters the men were devout Muslims, praying five times a day, but the conversations he had with them gave no indication they held radical views.

However, their behaviour changed recently and they became more reclusive in their granny flat and would be aggressive towards him.

"I'm scared that I'm living with these people, " Mr Macatangay told reporters on Wednesday morning. "They seemed to be really nice. They were sarcastic people but I didn't mind that. We used to joke about religion."

Commonwealth prosecutor Michael Allnutt said the allegations against the men were so serious that there would be an application that they be dealt with in the NSW Supreme Court – the highest court in NSW that usually deals with murders and very large instances of drug supply or fraud.

"It's a very, very serious allegation," Mr Allnutt told Fairfield magistrate Vivien Swain.

Islamic State has previously called on Muslims in Western countries to behead any non-believer they can find on the street, particularly police officers and law-enforcement workers.

The alleged terrorist plot was "the type of act ... consistent with messaging coming out of Islamic State", Deputy Commissioner Burn said.

The men were not on police or intelligence radars.

Counter-terrorism officers only knew about the alleged plot when they received information on Tuesday, forcing them to act immediately in an operation that included police from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, Sydney, and members of the Tactical Operations Unit.

Deputy Commissioner Burn would not say where the information came from.

"We received further information that the attack was imminent and we acted," she said.

Searches were also conducted at the residence, as well as of a motor vehicle, and where the men work.

Serious problem: Abbott

Prime Minister Tony Abbott predicted that the threat of terrorism attacks like the one allegedly foiled in the Sydney raids on Tuesday would get "worse before it gets better".

Speaking to the Federal Parliament in Canberra on Wedenesday, Mr Abbott revealed additional details about the video that police allegedly found in the men's possession.

He said it was a "video recording of one suspect kneeling in front of the ISIL flag with the two knives whilst making a statement in Arabic".

"This was an imminent attack in Australia inspired by the ISIL or Da'esh death cult," Mr Abbott said.

"This is a serious problem and I fear … it will get worse before it gets better. As we have seen again and again in recent times, the death cult is reaching out all around the world including here in Australia.

"Regrettably there are people in Australia who are susceptible to these incitements to extremism and even terrorism."

- with David Wroe

Dva lika su imali plan da jednostavno noževima zakolju razrežu koliko god im ljudi padne pod ruke.

Knox Grammar erected a memorial to one of its paedophile teachers reading ‘he touched us all’, royal commission hears

THE sign on the school gates of the elite Knox Grammar unwittingly spoke volumes about the paedophile vice-principal: “He touched us all,” it read.

The embarrassed school had to remove the sign on its Cleveland St gates after it learned the late art teacher Bruce Barrett had sexually abused students, as revealed yesterday in the child sex abuse royal commission.

Knox Grammar School is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Wahroonga, New South Wales, an upper North Shore suburb of Sydney, Australia.

The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was established on 22 June 1977 when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union.

Bivši australski maneken i DJ poginuo u Siriji boreći se na strani Islamske države
Kultovi smrti
OBJAVA: Nedjelja, 19. travnja 2015. 22:26
IZVOR: Fena
AUTOR: Z.S.

Bivši maneken i DJ iz Melbournea, kojeg je njegova bivša agencija opisala kao nekog tko ima obećavajuću budućnost, posljednji je Australac za kojeg se smatra da je ubijen u borbama na strani Islamske države u Siriji.

Roditelji Sharkyja Jame (25) obaviješteni su o smrti sina putem SMS poruke i poziva, kazao je Husein Karakov, predsjednik Somalskog australskog vijeća u Viktoriji.

"Veoma su šokirani i veoma razočarani", kazao je Harakov, koji zna obitelj Jama.

On je rekao da je Jama nestao zajedno s još jednim Australcem porijeklom iz Somalije, Jusufom Jusufom, u kolovozu prošle godine.

Harakov je rekao da su Jamini roditelji kontaktirali sina u iračkom gradu Faludži, koji se nalazi u rukama Islamske države, gdje je on navodno živio.

No, njima je rečeno da je njihov sin ubijen u sukobima u Siriji.

On je rekao da njegova obitelj nije znala da se Jama pridružio ID-u usprkos njegovim objavama na društvenim medijima u kojima podržava Islamsku državu.

"Nikada im nije objasnio što se tamo događa niti što on radi", rekao je Harakov za CNN.

"Obitelj je živjela jednostavnim životom. Nikada nisu razgovarali o takvim stvarima", dodao je on.

Glasnogovornica australskog ministarstva vanjskih poslova kazala je da ne može potvrditi njegovu smrt jer su njihovi izvori u Siriji i Iraku ograničeni.

"Zbog izuzetno opasne sigurnosne situacije, konzularne usluge nisu više dostupne u Siriji", kazala je ona.

Izvještaji o Jaminoj smrti uslijedili su nakon analize instituta Lowy, koja je pokazala da se veliki broj Australaca pridružio Islamskoj državi i da to predstavlja "ozbiljnu prijetnju po nacionalnu sigurnost" i predstavlja rizik za mogućnost napada na domaćem terenu.

Istaknuto je da bi zategnuti odnosi vlade i muslimanske zajednice mogli zakomplicirati napore da se smanji islamistički ekstremizam.

Ministrica vanjskih poslova Australije Julie Bishop izjavila je u ožujku da je 90 Australaca u Iraku i Siriji koji se bore na strani Islamske države, a najmanje 20 Australaca je poginulo u sukobima.

Pored Australije, Islamska država je regrutirala ljude iz drugih industrijskih zajednica, uključujući zapadne zemlje. U veljači, Nicholas Rasmussen, direktor američkog Nacionalnog centra za borbu protiv terorizma, kazao je da je oko 3.400 ljudi iz zapadnih zemalja otputovalo na Bliski istok kako bi se pridružili Islamskoj državi.

Australski premijer Tony Abbott dao je izjavu povodom izvještaja o smrti Jame u priopćenju.

"Imam veoma jednostavnu poruku za one koji razmišljaju o odlasku na strana bojna polja: Nemojte!", kazao je on.

"To su kultovi smrti. Nemaju veze s vjerom, oni su samo vezani za smrt i vrlo je vjerojatno da ćete umrijeti tamo", dodao je on.

Iz Jamine bivše agencije su rekli da su prekinuli sve odnose s njim kada su objavljeni izvještaji u medijima da se pridružio Islamskoj državi.

"Bio je veoma dopadljiv dečko, izuzetno pristojan i uvijek je imao osmijeh na licu. Sjajna je karijera bila pred njim. Uvijek je bio spreman raditi", priopćeno je iz agencije.

Izvještaji o njegovoj smrti izazvali su brojne reakcije na društvenim medijima, a pojedinci su ga nazvali 'šehidom' (mučenikom) i poželili su mu da pronađe svoje mjesto u 'dženetu' (raju).

Australian politicians reacted quickly, with opposition leader Bill Shorten and shadow foreign affairs minister Tanya Plibersek calling on the government to deliver “a strong response”.

Socceroos or Croatia? The family ties that bind

Michael Lynch
Senior sports reporter with The Age

Down the decades, all manner of men from all manner of ethnic backgrounds have worn the green and gold Socceroos shirt.

But is there any single group that has given the Australian game more star players, more coaches, and contributed more to Australian soccer's development than the Croatian community?

Arguably Australia's greatest player, Mark Viduka, sprang from the fecund soccer wellspring of Melbourne's western suburbs to emerge as a teenager, fully formed as a goalscoring phenomenon, in the National Soccer League with the Melbourne Knights. Viduka went on to have a storied international career in Europe, culminating in his role as captain of what most would agree was Australia's best-ever starting XI at the 2006 World Cup.

But he was far from an outlier. In recent times numerous Socceroo stars who have forged impressive careers overseas have emerged from the Croatian communities scattered all over Australia.

Mark Bosnich and Tony Popovic from Sydney, Ned Zelic from Canberra, Josip Skoko from the South Australian border town of Mount Gambier (before his move as a youngster to Geelong) are some of the best known names, along with Viduka, to have played for Australia in the past 20 years.

Even a well-loved Socceroo veteran like Mark Bresciano, so widely regarded as a player of Italian heritage, has a link to the Croatian community given that his mother's family hails from there.

But national allegiance is not always a straightforward matter for Australian-born-and-raised Croatians. It's not a given that they will don the green and gold of their native country rather than the red and white checks of their family's land.

The thing that makes their commitment to the game so strong also acts to divide their loyalties in the most heartbreaking of ways.

At the 2006 World Cup Australia's 23-man squad had seven players (if Bresciano is included) who could boast a Croatian background. But the Croatian squad contained three players who were born and raised in Australia but chose to play for the European nation with which they felt such close cultural ties.

Sydneysider Anthony Seric went to Europe as a youngster and made his decision to play for Croatia early. Geelong-born Joey Didulica had made his name with the Melbourne Knights and had been Australia's first-choice goalkeeper in the run-up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics before injury ruled him out.

Didulica was keen to play for Australia but at the time Mark Schwarzer was firmly entrenched in the No.1 shirt and never missed a game, offering few opportunities to rivals. In the end Didulica grew frustrated, and when Croatia gave him the chance to be part of their squad for the 2004 European Championships he took up the offer. He was on the bench in Stuttgart when Harry Kewell's late equaliser put Australia into the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup and sent the Croatians back to Zagreb after a 2-2 draw.

An even more controversial figure for Croatia's Australian diaspora is Josip Simunic, a central actor that night in Stuttgart when he was eventually sent off having received an unprecedented three yellow cards.

Simunic was born and brought up in Canberra. He, too, went to the AIS and played for the Melbourne Knights, but made it very clear from an early age, having gone to Europe to follow his career, that he wasn't interested in appearing for Australia.

Simunic went on to become a cornerstone of the Croatian defence for a decade or more. A passionate, determined figure, his commitment to the Croatian cause ended up in him receiving a 10-game ban from FIFA after a World Cup qualifier in 2013 when he led the fans in a post-game song that FIFA decided had racial and political overtones. Simunic's defenders countered by claiming it was merely a traditional song celebrating Croatia's heritage.

Could Australia have done with Simunic, Didulica and Seric? Of course. They were all top-level players and it's fascinating to think how a Socceroo back four with a younger and mobile Lucas Neill playing at right-back alongside Craig Moore and Simunic in the middle, with Seric at left-back, might have fared in that 2006 World Cup.

But to criticise them for opting to play for Croatia, not Australia, misunderstands the deep links those who grow up in Croatian Australian communities feel for their antecedents.

As Didulica's brother, John - an NSL player whose career was cut short by injury and who now holds an executive role at Melbourne City - explains, those ties are all encompassing.

"Our parents came from a country where they weren't even allowed to acknowledge they were a separate country. The history, the culture, the language and the sense of identity was all very strong. And playing football and doing well in the game was a way of promoting your community, showing in this new country that Croatians could achieve things."

Certainly there was no lack of affection for Didulica and Simunic earlier this month at a function held by the Croatian Australian Soccer Association when they, along with Viduka, Skoko, Billy Vojtek (a hero from an earlier era) and scores of past players, administrators, officials and coaches were inducted into the Croatian Australian Soccer Hall of Fame.

Simunic was not there but when his image came up on the big screen along with footage of his career, including the infamous rugby tackle with which he brought down Viduka in the World Cup clash, the cheers were loud and sustained.

Which goes to the heart of the matter, as CASA president George Dragovic explains.

"When Croatian people emigrated to countries such as Australia, the US, Canada, Germany and Austria, these countries offered these communities a chance to express their culture and their nationality – something which these groups of people inevitably did via the social and soccer clubs they formed.

"Being of Croatian background and playing for a club that the local Croatian community had formed, was the equivalent of playing for a Croatian representative team when you consider that within Croatia itself, people there were not allowed to even say they were Croatian under Yugoslav communist rule.

"When you combine this pride in your ancestry with a strong work ethic and a love for football, what you inevitably ended up having are hundreds of quality footballers with a healthy dose of Croatian identity. How else can you explain the fact that many Croatian national team players were not even born in Croatia, yet despite being called up by the country of their birth, always only dreamt of playing for Croatia?"

Na prodaju plac veličine Engleske

Najveće privatno zemljište na svetu, veliko skoro kao cela Engleska, koje se nalazi u Australiji, je na prodaju po ceni od 325 miliona dolara.

IZVOR: B92 UTORAK, 23.06.2015.

U proteklih 100 godina je bilo u vlasništvu porodice ser Sidni Kidmana, čoveka koji je, kako se navodi, „od običnog begunca postao najveći vlasnik stoke u državi“.

„Independent“, ističe da će tih 11 miliona hektara biti prodato jednom od 30 najboljih ponuđača.

Australija do studenog mjeseca prelazi 24 milijuna stanovnika.

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument