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JIHAD ALLEGEDLY THREATENED
Combustible Queenslander John Amundsen—earlier mentions here and here—has now been hit with multiple terrorism charges:
The first Queenslander charged with terrorism allegedly sent police an email threatening to launch a jihad – or holy war – on the suburban streets of Brisbane.
Police received the “anonymous” email this week as they were investigating the alleged purchase of 53kg of explosives by Brisbane high school teacher John Amundsen.
Queensland police have allegedly tracked the email to a computer at a Brisbane internet cafe used by Amundsen.
It remains unclear whether targets were mentioned, however police sources said there were no specific streets identified.
It is understood Amundsen is still maintaining he bought the explosives for stunts and to blow up trees for a movie he was making.
He wanted to blow up trees? The guy can’t be all bad.
UPDATE. Amundsen—represented in court by his current lawyer over unspecified matters in the ‘90s—is also accused of sending police a photograph of a bomb.
UPDATE II. Comment from Keelty:
A Brisbane teacher facing terrorism-related charges did not appear to be linked to any “larger organisation”, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said today.
“I wouldn’t want to say there is any fear or any concern about a larger organisation being behind this person,” Mr Keelty said outside the Future Summit 2006 in Brisbane.
And from Amundsen’s lawyer, Andrew Boe:
“These offences, whilst they’re under that legislation, it does not follow that even if he was convicted that he’s some sort of terrorist.”
The man’s obviously a grade-1 criminal mastermind.
Posted by Mike Jericho on 2006 05 11 at 07:40 PM • permalinkHe reveals a new kink every time he goes to court. What next? He once put the flamethrower to the neigbour’s daisies?
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 05 11 at 08:21 PM • permalinkYoo-hoo! Gussie-Gussie-Gussieeee!
Well, wait a minute. It’s entirely possible this nutjob intended to spark a jihad by bombing Muslims. He may be 180-degrees out of phase with the jihadis.
Posted by Rob Crawford on 2006 05 11 at 08:35 PM • permalinkThis just goes to show that what we believed in high school is true: substitute teachers are insane. (My personal favorite was the guy built like a bouncer who used an entire math period to talk about a girlfriend who died in the dentist’s chair because she was allergic to Novocaine.)
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 05 11 at 08:42 PM • permalink(PS: I assume that a “relief teacher” is the same thing as a “substitute teacher.”)
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 05 11 at 08:45 PM • permalinkYou watch, even if he isn’t one of the faithful, there will be an outcry over his use of ‘jihad’.
We will be subjected to claims that ‘jihad’ is actually a peaceful term taken out of context and misused by this person.
The question as to why he would choose this, foreign word, to describe an act of terrorism will go strangely unanswered.
After consulting Mr Boe, Mr Amundsen told magistrate Noel Nunan: “The powergel substance without the detonator or the exact amperage is benign, totally benign and the police knew that.
The scary thing about that statement is that he’s got Andrew Boe, who’s probably the best criminal defence lawyer, in the state working for him. The prosecution just got a lot harder.
At least our local loons get around to actually making some ‘splodey devices, unlike your weak-as-piss southern jihadis, who only yammer about it on wire-tapped phones.
Yay Queensland!
(BTW- I’ve got a couple of mates called Amundsen, it’s not a real common name-the ones I know are great-grandkids of the seal shagger who cheated getting to the South pole first and made Captain Scott eat the frostbitten bits that fell off Oates. Bloody Lapland Bastard. Maybe this particular Norse Nutter Nazi was going to sort out the lascivious behavior of Sea Worlds Poofter Penguins).
From the Melbourne Herald Sun this morning -
‘... Outside court yesterday, Mr Amundsen’s lawyer, Andrew Boe, said there was a “completely plausible and non-nefarious explanation” for the circumstances in which his client “finds himself”, but would not elaborate.
“Mr Amundsen is not a terrorist; he’s not associated with any terrorist organisations,” he said.
“He’s not a danger.
“His 78-year-old mother is a decent person; she’s absolutely distressed about this.” ‘
well obviously this is another case of police brutality and picking on the innocent. Look what they’re doing to his mother! Where’s Leunig’s cartoon on this!
The scary thing about that statement is that he’s got Andrew Boe, who’s probably the best criminal defence lawyer, in the state working for him...you’re obviously not from Queensland then, matey.
Boe is a shameless self-promoter and about as agile in the court-room as Michael Moore dropped into one of the La Brea tar pits.
He did such a bang-up job for Ivan Milat, much like Sydney-based publicity tart and defender of douchebags Leigh Johnson- public profile is more important than actual ability and success.
Probably the best criminal defense solicitor in the state, and possibly the country is Chris Nyst (who also wrote the script for Gettin’ Square), and as far as briefs go you would be hard pressed to go past either of the Brewer brothers, or in the case of a major series of indictments likely to be faced by this ratbag an experienced silk like Cedric Hampson.
Boe is a bit of a joke to the profession up h’yar.
I think someone’s been very soundly thrashed with the crazy stick.
Although…
well obviously this is another case of police brutality and picking on the innocent. Look what they’re doing to his mother! Where’s Leunig’s cartoon on this!
Suddenly it all makes sense. Leunig is his mother! It explains the fanciful and ever-changing stories, the confused behaviour, the desire to lash out at things one doesn’t understand… it’s all there!
Posted by blandwagon on 2006 05 11 at 09:24 PM • permalinkBTW- Terry O’Gorman’s* brother Dan is actually a very capable barrister; family reunions must be interesting, as their other brother is recently retired Sen Sgt John “Bluey” O’Gorman, who set up and ran the TRG. (SWAT to any Seppo readers).
*Bleeding heart former president of the Council for Civil Liberties.
After consulting Mr Boe, Mr Amundsen told magistrate Noel Nunan: “The powergel substance without the detonator or the exact amperage is benign, totally benign and the police knew that.
So is C-4; I don’t want my neighbor stuffing it into coffee cans anyway.
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 05 11 at 09:49 PM • permalinkNo, no, no everyone. It’s okay. I’ve just had word that it was this power gel.
—Nora
Posted by The Thin Man Returns on 2006 05 11 at 10:04 PM • permalink#10. Phil you forgot nufnuf and nong.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 05 11 at 10:09 PM • permalinkHe’s right of course, unless the gelignite is sweating- then it’s as unstable as nitroglycerine. You can saw through or hammer on jelly without any nasty effects- you need to crimp a cap and detonator into it to initiate it. He did (allegedly) have hom-made dets on hand, and my contact reckons he had four made-up nail/razor bombs, with powergel as the ordnance- much nastier than any of the home-made items used recently, as he’s using a commercial high explosive which is much more powerful than stuff like “dragons breath” which is much like black powder, but easier to initiate, more concealable but more unstable.
I think this boyo was planning some major naughtiness- fortunately he seems nutty enough to have made no attempt to cover his tracks.Speaking of Andrew Boe, he appeared on behalf of his client this morning before Magistrate Jacqui Payne, who just happens to be his WIFE!
I hope his client gets what Ivan Milat received.
That statement by his lawyer is actually correct. I use Powergel (without a detonator, of course) all the time in my stir fries; it helps thicken the sauce without the high Glycemic Index penalty that cornflour has - Type 2 diabetic, you know.
Posted by pick-your-pun on 2006 05 11 at 11:01 PM • permalinkUp until now I was hedging my bets on wether he was a right wing nazi /islamist nutter, or one of Margos readers whod finaly lost the plot.
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 05 11 at 11:34 PM • permalinkThis is because private schools have a statutory exception from NSW anti-discrimination provisions, after religious schools successfully argued their need to avoid injury to their religious susceptibilities.
{Yes, they do this because they (teachers) have their own cult like behaviour which is evident in it’s system.}
When I think of teachers, it is a group think phenomena, like the military and soliders it enforces the reality, without realise the potential to miss out on external norms.
How do Islamic teach in this country?
Do they practise what?How do the catholics teach… rigidly, cult like?
How do the Anglicans teach? Eg. a few weeks ago with the youth worker.
Do they teach 1+3=5? or is it don’t query Allah or you’re on detention?
Jesus or our christian faith is the only way…..
For eg. kYm b visited Regina Coli school, each child receives around 1000 dollars per child not bad when you get other rebates, and still complain at fuel. etc. I think Catholics hate the Prime minister and like labour, i think they’re told who to vote for. The teachers enforce a rigid/cult like language and the mob if they don’t like you. Mirroring is an effective way in this organisation of finding fault at nothing to enjoy the chase of evicting someone. Once i heard of internet tampering and teachers finding fault in adults not teachers for the strangest things.
Teachers are bullies and are paid 100,000 dollars to do very little and could not survive a job in the private world.
I know I’ve seen Powergel in hobby shops before, in specialty model rocket sections and such. But this guy is definitely a freak. I’m guessing he thought he could get away with planting his bombs because the cops would think it was an Islamic terrorist.
Whatever went through his head, I hope he spends a long time finding out how many things will go through the other end in prison.
Posted by Tatterdemalian on 2006 05 12 at 12:13 AM • permalinkHey, if it turns out he is a Moslem, will they drop the terrorism charges?
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 05 12 at 12:25 AM • permalink#12 It’s not funny—I have the same allergy. Finally found an Hindu dentist who taught me to transcend dental medication.
(just you try saying “om mane padme hum” which a handful of fingers in your mouth)
Posted by MentalFloss on 2006 05 12 at 12:46 AM • permalink1.618
Is that your IQ-to-shoesize ratio?Posted by Honkie Hammer on 2006 05 12 at 01:18 AM • permalinkRan into this, should be worth a jihad or 2.
Linky winky: http://aarons.cc/Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 05 12 at 03:22 AM • permalinkWell how ‘bout this spin:
Amundson is an undercover investigative journalist with a genuine interest in counterterrorism. He planned to procure the explosives, using very little subterfuge, detonate them harmlessly and then publish an embarrassing video of the event to prove the ‘incompetence’ of Australian authorities.
So he gets caught. No big.
Now he turns his cunning to the next phase. He hires a top-shelf legal representative to help show not only how easy it is to come within a whisker of a devastating terrorist attack but, once caught, just how easy it is to beat the system and show that our ‘ineffectual’ legal system couldn’t make a terrorism charge stick if it was coated in superglue.
Interviews, book deal, big new house for momma.
splice
Does he have a sidekick called Balldrick?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldrick
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 05 12 at 07:37 AM • permalinkFound this page by googling “nail bombing trees”
Good to know there are others interested in the hobby.Posted by lumberjack on 2006 05 12 at 09:05 AM • permalinkOK, not true, I’m a regular reader. It’s just a happy truth that sooner or later all conversations return to tree-bombing; all I had to do was wait.
Posted by lumberjack on 2006 05 12 at 09:11 AM • permalinkThanks, #4 el cid and #10 phil_b – it’s nice to learn about a foreign language. ;-p
Posted by Barbara Skolaut on 2006 05 12 at 10:27 AM • permalink
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“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree”.
Joyce Kilmer