Australian terror suspects were arrested near 'nuclear target'

[emad]

By Sam Knight and agencies


Australia's only nuclear reactor may have been a target for the 18 men arrested on terrorism charges in Sydney and Melbourne last week, acccording to court documents released today.

In 21 pages of allegations submitted to Sydney’s Central Local Court, Australian investigators described how three of the men were stopped by police after they were spotted acting suspiciously near the Lucas Heights research reactor on the outskirts of Sydney late last year.

The suspects - Mazen Touma, Mohammed Elomar and Abdul Rakib Hasan - told police that they were in the area to ride an off-road trail bike that was in the back of their car, but when questioned separately gave different accounts of their activities, police said.

Police later found that a gate to the reactor, which develops radioactive isotopes for use in medicine, but does not generate power, had recently been cut.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1871716,00.html

[barb162]

1. Australia terror suspects 'were stopped near nuclear plant'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,12070,1642231,00.html

Australia terror suspects 'were stopped near nuclear plant'

Staff and agencies
Monday November 14, 2005

Three of the 18 terror suspects arrested in Sydney and Melbourne last week were stopped and questioned by police near Australia's only nuclear power station, it was claimed today.

A document released to the court where the eight people arrested in Sydney had their first hearing alleged that three of the suspects had been stopped in their car near the city's nuclear facility in December 2004.

The men also had an off-road motorbike and claimed they were there to ride, the document said. It added that all three had given different versions of the day's events to police.

Police inquiries revealed the lock of a gate to a reactor reservoir
had recently been cut. snip

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. How close is "near"? 5 miles? 10 miles? 50 miles?

[fshrink]

3. In Australia, that'd be within a 100 miles.

[barb162]

5. Police are not releasing the distance

at least in the stories I am checking. The stories are jus using the word "near" such as in the below story



Harbour city the 'prime target'
Elizabeth Gosch
November 15, 2005

Documents tendered to a Sydney court last week and publicly released yesterday showed three of the eight NSW men charged after last week's raids were stopped near Sydney's Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in December last year.

The document says Mazen Touma, Mohamed Ali Elomar and Abdul Rhakib Hasan were stopped in their car by police near the southern Sydney reactor.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17248597%255E601,00.html

[barb162]

8. It can also mean they were ten feet away. Who knows right now

other than the police, the prosecutors, etal? As the story develops and more details are released to the press, we will find out (I hope).

[RobertSeattle]

4. Define "Near" Mr Journalist!!!

Near is a weasel word when used by weasels.

[Marie26]

6. Scary

I get suspicious too, but it does seem like these guys were plotting something pretty bad:
"Searches of properties belonging to the men turned up chemicals, ammunition, firearms, 165 detonators, machetes, samurai swords and books on terrorism and jihad, according to police. The men are also accused of ordering steel drums, batteries, plastic piping, circuit kits and stopwatches."

[barb162]

7. That's how I am viewing the story also

worrisome

[hogwyld]

9. Watch out Aussies

That's what happens when your government marches in lock step with our criminal administration. You would be well served to distance yourselves from this rogue nation, otherwise, you could be in for some bad times.