KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - A Sydney court has been told nine terror suspects possessed the ingredients and instructions to construct explosive devices capable of killing and causing massive damage.
The committal hearing for the nine Sydney men heard yesterday that they had all conspired to prepare for an act of terrorism.
In her opening address, prosecutor Wendy Abraham, QC, told Penrith Local Court the men were Islamic extremists determined to carry out violent "jihad" to protect Islam.
"They believed Islam was under attack," Abraham told the court. "Violence was the primary tool of their jihad."
Abraham said while the men - Mohammed Ali Elomar, Mazen Touma, Abdul Rakib Hasan, Khaled Cheikho, Moustafa Cheikho, Khaled Sharrouf, Mirsad Mulahalilovic, Omar Baladjam and Mohammed Jamal - used false names to purchase many of the ingredients for highly sensitive explosives such as TATP and HMTD, many of the components had still not been recovered.
Abraham told Magistrate Michael Price the men had been prepared to coerce and intimidate the Australian Government and the public by violent acts of terror. Evidence would prove all nine men worked together in their alleged conspiracy.
Abraham said police had retrieved documents from Elomar's house which included recipes and instructions for the construction of explosives from household and commercial ingredients. Documents in Arabic also contained extremist and instructional advice targeting embassies and other buildings.
The hearing, to determine whether the men will face trial, is expected to run for up to three months.
- AAP
