Terror suspect 'asked to recruit more members'

A British-born terror suspect was asked by senior al-Qaida figures in Afghanistan to recruit Australian Muslims to be trained in explosives and sniper techniques, a court heard today.

Jack Roche – who has pleaded not guilty to plotting to blow up the Israeli embassy in Canberra – told federal police that he had extensive contacts with operatives from both al-Qaida and the Southeast Asian terror group Jemmah Islamiyah.

If convicted by a jury at Perth District Court, Roche faces a maximum 25-year sentence.

Roche, 52, an Australian citizen who was born in Hull in Britain, was sent by Australian leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah to Malaysia to meet Hambali, the group’s operations chief, who then sent him to Pakistan and eventually Afghanistan – where he briefly met Osama bin Laden – for explosives training in April 2000, the court heard.

In recorded interviews with Australian Federal Police played in court today, Roche said that in Afghanistan he met with men he called Abu Hafs and Sheik Walid.

It was not clear if Abu Hafs was Abu Hafs al-Masri, the alias of Mohammad Atef, a top lieutenant of bin Laden who was killed in a US airstrike in Afghanistan in 2001.

Abu Hafs grilled Roche on Israeli targets in Australia, he said.

They talked about bombing the Israeli embassy in Canberra, and discussed kidnapping prominent Jewish businessman Joe Gutnick.

The court heard that Abu Hafs also asked Roche to recruit two or three more Australian Muslims for “more intense” training.

“The idea was that … one was to be taught in explosives and the other was to be taught in something like sniping,” he said on the tapes.