Alleged terrorists wanted high casualties, court hears
AN Australian-born terrorist wannabe has detailed his plans to stage a large scale attack on Melbourne saying he hoped to kill as many people as possible.
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AN Australian-born terrorist wannabe has detailed his plans to stage a large scale attack on Melbourne saying he hoped to kill as many people as possible.
“I wanted to make sure that the casualties would be high. The bigger the better,” Ibrahim Abbas told a Supreme Court jury on Wednesday.
“The bigger the more terror is achieved, and that’s the point.”
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Abbas is a witness in the trial of three men — his brother Hamza Abbas, cousin Abdullah Chaarani and friend Ahmed Mohamed — who are charged with preparing to carry out a terrorist attack.
The 24-year-old, who was born and raised in Melbourne, said he had discussed his terrorism plans with the three accused and had tried to build a bomb with Mr Mohamed.
He said he was in the process of putting a team together to stage a large scale attack when the three co-accused were arrested.
“I discussed with the three men (the co-accused) ... regarding a potential terror attack,” Abbas said.
“I had ideas … where it would have been. It could have been New Year’s Day or New Year’s Eve, or some other time in the future.
“It would have been (staged at) a place of congregation.”
Abbas said he was inspired by Al-Qaeda and ISIS leaders including Osama bin Laden and had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014 after a caliphate was announced by Abu Mohammed al-Adnani.
Abbas said he was inspired to join the cause and stage an attack in Australia which he described as a land of infidels.
“There are videos that explain how an attack can occur,” he said.
“You could ram people with a car, you could use a knife attack, you could shoot people,” he said.
Abbas said he was prepared to die for his belief saying: “The whole point of jihad is martyrdom.”
“I believed that if I could do a terrorist attack here then that would prevent the Australian government from financing the war against Islamic State and it would send a clear message to the Australian public about the damage, the loss of lives, that occurs in the Muslim world where the Australian government is financing the war against Islamic State.”
The prosecution case against the men includes surveillance footage, as well as social media messages and Islamic state propaganda found on their phones.
The jury has been told they conducted reconnaissance of the agreed target area of Federation Square, Flinders Street and St Paul’s Cathedral.
They were arrested on December 22, 2016 after authorities became concerned that an attack was imminent.
Searches of their properties found chemicals, 800 explosives charges normally used in construction, fuses, shrapnel and other equipment which the prosecution alleges were part of the planning for a terrorist attack.
Prosecutors allege the men were in the thrall of Islamic State, which in 2014 had issued a fatwa ordering followers to kill “the filthy French or an Australian or a Canadian”.
The trial, before Justice Christopher Beale, continues.
WHAT WAS SAID IN COURT
PROSECUTOR: By the time December 2016 had come, you were going to do something soon; is that the case?
ABBAS: It was likely that something could have happened soon.
PROSECUTOR: And what particular something were you planning or thinking about?
ABBAS: I didn’t really have a plan, it was just, I was gonna do a terrorist act.
PROSECUTOR: Had you thought where that might be?
ABBAS: I had ideas, but where that would have been, it could have — could have been Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve or some other time in the future.
PROSECUTOR: All right, so New Year’s Eve, but where, what sort of place?
ABBAS: It was — it would have been a place of congregation.
PROSECUTOR: By that you mean where people join together?
ABBAS: Correct.
PROSECUTOR: Where there’s a crowd, effectively?
ABBAS: Correct.
PROSECUTOR: And why were you thinking of a place of congregation?
ABBAS: Because I wanted to make sure that the casualty would be high, the casualties would be high.
PROSECUTOR: Why did you want lots of casualties, or higher casualties, I’m sorry, to use your words?
ABBAS: The bigger the better.
PROSECUTOR: Why did you want to make the bigger the better statement, what were you trying to achieve?
ABBAS:: Well, the bigger, the more terror is achieved, and that’s the point.