Australian trained with Al Qaeda, claim police

An Australian charged with membership of a terrorist group trained with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and met Osama bin Laden in the months before...

An Australian charged with membership of a terrorist group trained with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and met Osama bin Laden in the months before the September 11 2001 attacks in the United States, a court was told.

Police told a bail hearing that Shane Kent, 28, attended the “Al Farooq terrorist training camp” in Afghanistan from June to August 2001, the Australian Associated Press reported. Detective Ben Condon said a witness whose identity was suppressed by the court had made a statement saying Kent attended the camp and met al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

When asked by Defence Lawyer Peta Murphy if Kent had ever pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden, Condon replied: “I believe he did”.

Story continues below this ad

Murphy denied any such pledge was made by Kent, one of 18 Muslims arrested in November in Melbourne and Sydney in Australia’s biggest terror swoop and charged with being members of a terrorist organisation and plotting an attack.

The prosecution opposed bail for Kent at a hearing due to continue on Wednesday. Last Friday, the same Melbourne court was told that two of the other men arrested, one an Islamic cleric, had discussed assassinating Australian Prime Minister John Howard, killing policemen and even attacking crowds at Sports events.

9 men killed in Chennai construction site had left Assam to build a better life

India1 hr ago

Nine young men from the Dimasa tribe, working at a construction site in Tamil Nadu, were killed when a concrete arch they were working on collapsed. The brothers Provit and Sorbojit Thaosen were among the victims, along with four others from their village. The incident highlights the lack of employment opportunities and low wages that force many from their villages to work as migrant workers.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS