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Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, death to you
So now, along with the I-was-only-kidding line of defense used by jihadis and their lawyers, we can add "I-was-only-exploiting-al-Qaeda." Jihad-Jack Update.
"Terror suspect Jack Thomas fooled al-Qaeda, trial told," from the Australian, October 20:
JACK Thomas deceived al-Qaeda by accepting money from the terrorist organisation while not intending to carry out an offer of "work", a court has been told.Crown prosecutor Nicholas Robinson SC said Mr Thomas was not naive as he described himself, but calculating.
"He was the one who used the term naive, but look at what he did,'' Mr Robinson told the court in his closing address today.
"He took tickets and money from (Khaled) bin Attash who was clearly a member of al-Qaeda ... and he took them intending not to work.
"He deceived al-Qaeda.''
Mr Thomas, 35, is on trial in the Victorian Supreme Court for receiving funds from a terrorist organisation and possessing a falsified passport.
The Crown alleges the Melbourne man accepted $US3500 ($5053) and a plane ticket to Australia from al-Qaeda operative, Khaled bin Attash, in Pakistan between November 2002 and January 2003.
During that period, Bin Attash approached Mr Thomas claiming to have a message from Osama bin Laden that the terrorist leader wanted a "white boy'' to work for him in Australia, and that he, bin Attash, could offer $US10,000 ($14,438) immediately to anyone willing to carry out an attack.
Mr Thomas travelled to Afghanistan in March 2001, originally with his wife and child, to train with the Taliban to fight in the civil war.
He ended up in an al-Qaeda camp but says he didn't know it was run by the terrorist group until he saw Osama bin Laden at the camp for the first time, before September 11.
His barrister, Jim Kennan SC, said Thomas was certainly naive because he travelled to Afghanistan in the belief he could help stop the civil war.
"If that isn't the height of naivety, what is?'' Mr Kennan told the court.
"We say it's the height of naivety.''
Mr Kennan said the proposition by the Crown that Thomas defrauded al-Qaeda showed what a "thin and desperate Crown case this is.
"That's really ... a very desperate interpretation of that evidence,'' he said.
Mr Kennan argued there was no evidence before the jury to suggest bin Attash was a member of al-Qaeda.
He said the money and ticket were organised by Pakistani well-wishers, with whom Attash was involved.
The case before Justice Elizabeth Curtain, is continuing.
Posted by Raymond at October 22, 2008 11:27 AM
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"He took tickets and money from (Khaled) bin Attash who was clearly a member of al-Qaeda ... and he took them intending not to work".
"He ended up in an al-Qaeda camp but says he didn't know it was run by the terrorist group until he saw Osama bin Laden at the camp for the first time, before September 11."
The reasoning is not only naif, it's also illogical. First, he didn't want to work but took the money. Secondly, he went to a terrorist camp but he didn't know it was a terrorist camp (if it was AQ or other, that's not important).
So, what were they doing there? Learning to knit or to cook? Or learning to make explosive devices and so on??
Posted by: Claudia![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 22, 2008 1:36 PM
"I am the #1 most hated man in the West, and yes, my Mama is proud" -- OBL
Posted by: champ at October 22, 2008 4:47 PM
"He deceived al-Qaeda.''
I don't know, is this like deceiving the Mafia? Anybody who does that is risking a long walk of a short pier.
Posted by: tanstaafl at October 22, 2008 5:31 PM
'I was just ripping off Al-Qaeda'...
Well at least the excuse is a little more original...The old, 'I was just making fireworks', excuse is getting worn out.
Posted by: duh_swami at October 22, 2008 7:02 PM
I dunno about Aussie courts, but elsewhere in the West, al Qaeda could sue Jihad Jack for whatever it likes - they are likely to get a favorable judgment.
This thought has occurred to me - why not have Infidel double agents pull fast ones on Arab financiers of dawa in the West, and just fleece them as much as possible. That would make them a lot more reluctant to sink cash into Western mosques and madrassas, and also slow down their recruitment of 'white boys'. In the meantime, the cash that gets fleeced can go into buying these Infidels anything - from their family needs to individual porsches - regardless of how profligate it is, one thing one can be sure of - it won't be going into furthering islam
Posted by: Infidel Pride at October 23, 2008 12:11 AM
Jack Thomas must be the most stupid person in the world. He endangered his life, his family and his country for a very few thousand dollars. He sold his soul and his honor for only $3,500.
He is either a terrorist or the world's most stupid person. Let him pick his weapon of death: Terrorist or world's most stupid person.
He should be in jail for the rest of his life.
at October 23, 2008 11:35 AM
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