Al-Qa’ida team `plotted attack’ on Olympics – WAR ON TERROR: [3 All-round Metro Edition]
Sophie Morris, John Stapleton. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 04 Dec 2002: 8.
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Abstract
The Straits Times quoted regional intelligence sources saying that Hambali, otherwise known as Riduan Isamuddin, was bitterly disappointed that the Jemaah Islamiah chief in Australia, Abdul Rahim, rejected the plan. The newspaper alleged that Hambali had set up a hit team, including an Australian JI member whom he met at Kuala Lumpur airport, and an Indonesian named Kushmir Nesirwan, who had permanent residency in Australia and drove taxis in Sydney. Mr Nesirwan yesterday denied any involvement with JI, but did acknowledge that he had attended several lectures that its spiritual leader, Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, had given in Australia.
Mr Nesirwan’s home was raided by ASIO on October 30 and documents, passports, a laptop computer, computer disks, videos, tape recorders and remote controls were seized. The intelligence sources claimed Mr Nesirwan also was involved in JI operations in Ambon. He denied the allegations, but confirmed he had holidayed there.
Full Text
A TEAM of terrorists linked to Osama bin Laden plotted a major attack on the Sydney Olympics, it was reported yesterday.
Al-Qa’ida’s alleged Asian kingpin, Hambali, trained a team of terrorists to target Sydney during the 2000 Olympics, Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times reported.
Quoting unnamed intelligence sources, the paper demonstrated that al-Qa’ida and Jemaah Islamiah had become entrenched in Australia and established networks here.
The terrorist organisations had set down roots that were more extensive than Australian authorities were aware of or wished to acknowledge, the report said.
The Straits Times quoted regional intelligence sources saying that Hambali, otherwise known as Riduan Isamuddin, was bitterly disappointed that the Jemaah Islamiah chief in Australia, Abdul Rahim, rejected the plan. The newspaper alleged that Hambali had set up a hit team, including an Australian JI member whom he met at Kuala Lumpur airport, and an Indonesian named Kushmir Nesirwan, who had permanent residency in Australia and drove taxis in Sydney. Mr Nesirwan yesterday denied any involvement with JI, but did acknowledge that he had attended several lectures that its spiritual leader, Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, had given in Australia.
But the former Sydney taxi driver and father of six, who arrived in Australia from Indonesia in 1975, described the allegations that he was involved in theterrorist network as “bullshit”.
Mr Nesirwan acknowledged he had invited Mr Bashir into his home during the mid-1990s.
“I just asked him for lunch to my place and that’s all and I’m just listening in the mosque, that’s all,” he said.
“I’m a family man … I’ve got very busy in my life. I don’t have enough time for my family, I don’t know where the idea is coming from. I never know even JI in my life.”
Mr Nesirwan’s home was raided by ASIO on October 30 and documents, passports, a laptop computer, computer disks, videos, tape recorders and remote controls were seized. The intelligence sources claimed Mr Nesirwan also was involved in JI operations in Ambon. He denied the allegations, but confirmed he had holidayed there.
He also said he had never discussed terrorist activities with Mr Bashir or with Mr Rahim, never sent any money to JI and had never been approached by JI to join the group.
“I’ve been living in Australia since 1975,” Mr Nesirwan said. “You think I’m going to kill all my fellow brothers here, I’m going to destroy my life? This is all bullshit.
“I love Australia and now they said … it’s unbelievable, it’s … all lies.”
A spokeswoman for Attorney-General Daryl Williams refused to comment on the specific allegation, but said authorities were conducting ongoing investigations into links between people in Australia and JI and affiliate groups.
“We do not comment on the details of those investigations. However, we note the Sydney Olympics were hailed as the safest Olympics ever and they went off without a hitch,” she said.
The Australian Federal Police, ASIO and NSW police all claimed yesterday that there were no threats to the Olympics at the time, and no reports of any plots had emerged since.