Monday, April 28, 2014

Aussies killed in US drone strike in Yemen

Paul Maley and Mark Schliebs
The Australian
April 16, 2014 12:00AM

TWO Australian citizens have been killed in a US airstrike in Yemen in what is the first known example of Australian extremists dying as a result of Washington’s highly controversial use of predator drones.

The Australian has been told the two men, believed to be in their 20s, were killed in a Predator drone strike on five al-Qa’ida militants travelling in a convoy of cars in Hadramout, in eastern Yemen, on November 19.

The men were Christopher Harvard of Townsville and a New Zealand dual citizen who went by the name “Muslim bin John’’ and fought under the alias “Abu Suhaib al-Australi’’.

The Australian government, which insists it was given no advance warning of the strike, has positively identified the remains of the men using DNA analysis, with samples taken from families of the two men.

It is understood at least one of the men, Harvard, was buried in Yemen, possibly as recently as last week, following prolonged discussions with his family, which hoped to repatriate his remains.

A senior counter-terrorism source told The Australian the men were “foot soldiers’’ for al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qa’ida’s regional franchise based in Yemen.

It is understood US authorities notified Australian officials about the possibility Australian citizens might have been “collateral damage’’ in the strike, part of an ongoing campaign by the US and Yemeni governments to wipe out AQAP militants.

“The Americans advised us that they had intelligence that suggested they may have been in the car and may have been collateral damage,’’ the source said.

The two men were not the intended targets of the attack, which killed three other militants, including Abu Habib al-Yemeni, who appears to have been the primary target.

Abu Habib had reportedly travelled to Afghanistan in 1996 after al-Qa’ida left Sudan, and was a companion to al-Qa’ida leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a US military raid in May 2011. Authorities in Yemen sent DNA samples from all five victims to the Australian Federal Police. The samples, which consisted of tissue and bone fragments, positively identified the two Australians.

A spokeswoman for the AFP declined to comment, as did a spokesman for the US embassy in Canberra.

However, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the nationality of the two men killed. It emphasised the Australian government had no prior knowledge of the strike.

“There was no Australian involvement in, or prior awareness of, the operation,” a spokesman said.

He said DFAT could confirm the deaths late last year of “two Australians in Yemen, one of whom was a dual-national’’.

“We understand the men were killed during a counter-terrorism operation and do not intend to discuss its details,” he said. “Police and consular officials in Australia, and in the dual-national’s country of other nationality, were in contact with the next of kin when the deaths were confirmed.

“The AFP assisted in the identification of remains.’’

Yesterday, Harvard’s stepfather, Neil Dowrick, said the family was told by the AFP in December that he had been killed in a counter-terrorism raid. Mr Dowrick said he received a letter from the government indicating his stepson had been buried in Yemen. “From what we understand, Chris was buried on Friday,” he said.

Mr Dowrick said Harvard’s family had sought assistance from the Australian government to repatriate his grandson’s remains from Yemen, as they could not afford to do so.

It is not certain when Harvard went to Yemen, but it is believed he arrived in 2011.

“From what I was told ... he went over to teach English,” Mr Dowrick said. “Chris told us that’s what he was going over there for.”

Mr Dowrick said he did not know what had prompted his stepson’s conversion to Islam.

“Whatever it was it straightened his life,’’ Mr Dowrick said. “Once he worked out what he needed to do in life, he changed his whole life.”

The five militants killed were eulogised on Twitter, which named them under their aliases as Abu Habib al-Yemeni, Abu Salma al-Russi, Abu Suhaib al-Australi, Waddah al-Hadramawti and Hammam al-Misri.

Abu Suhaib al-Australia was the alias used by Muslim bin John, while Abu Salma al-Russi is believed to refer to Harvard, although it mistakenly identifies him as “the Russian”.

The Australian has been told Harvard was unknown to Australian counter-terrorism officials before his arrival in Yemen.

Once there, however, he quickly showed up on the radar of intelligence agencies. It is understood there were several false reports of him having been killed before November.

Australian authorities knew little about Harvard’s companion and fellow victim, “Muslim bin John’’, a name that a source said appeared to have been changed by deed poll, either in Australia or New Zealand, where he was a citizen.

It is understood the two men did not know each other before meeting in Yemen.

“They were foot soldiers,’’ the counter-terrorism official said, concerning the role played by the two in AQAP. “And there was a suggestion they were involved in kidnapping Westerners for ransom.’’

Armed predator drones have emerged as the weapon of choice for US authorities bent on eliminating Islamic militants. Yemen and the tribal areas of Pakistan are the main theatres for drone warfare.

Both the Pentagon and the CIA operate drones in Yemen, which before the eruption of the Syrian civil war three years ago was the destination-of-choice for foreign extremists, including several Australians.

The US reportedly conducted more than 20 airstrikes in Yemen throughout last year, the majority from drones.

A spokeswoman for the US embassy declined to comment on the incident: “The United States uses all lawful means at its disposal and works closely with foreign partners and allies to mitigate the threats we face.”

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

AC / DC to retire?

Islamic Socioipath's Inc., Pious Mehanna Family Rampage through Downing Centre Court Muslim Savage screams from Dock "I'm going to f---ing kill you."

Dozens of police in brawl at Downing Centre court

Emma Partridge

Crime Reporter

SMH

April 15, 2014

Dozens of police officers have been involved in a brawl inside a Sydney court with a family on trial for brawling with police.

One officer was "smacked in the face" during the fight, witness and 2UE court reporter Leonie Ryan said.

A number of police cars circled the Downing Centre at lunchtime on Tuesday.

The fight broke out minutes after Adel, Hussain and Ali Mehanna were convicted of numerous offences, including affray, resisting arrest and

assaulting police during a fight that broke out outside their Bankstown home on January 1, 2013.

Five Mehanna family members were facing police assault charges after the brawl.

Ali Mehanna, who was allegedly involved in Tuesday's scrum on level four, kept screaming: "This is police brutality."

Ryan said Adel Mehanna was inside the dock of the courtroom when he started screaming: "I'm going to f---ing kill you."

Officers then stormed in as Corrective Services attempted to take him away.

"We walked out of court, we were standing outside the doors and all of a sudden we just hear screaming. We turned around and it was almost like a football match brawl," she said.

"There were punches being thrown everywhere. It was just fists flying everywhere and screaming."

She said one police officer was punched in the face before a man was tackled to the ground and handcuffed.

Rafah Mehanna is taken out of the Downing Centre Court after her family Rioted inside the Downing Centre Court

Ali Mehanna told reporters outside the court that his brother, who was arrested over the brawl, was the victim of an "unprovoked attack".

"They provoked my brother as he walked out, they found a reason and then 'bang' they jumped on him," Ali Mehanna said.

"There was officers outside of the courtroom, there was no need for officers to be outside of the courtroom and then as we were leaving there was six or seven of them."

Family supporter Hassan Anthony kept repeating the words "police brutality".

"They hit him [a family] to the face, they kneed him in the back," Mr Anthony said.

"There was no mercy, all because they [police officers] are wearing the colour blue," he said.

The case continues.

Getting Through: How to Talk to Non-Muslims About the Disturbing Nature of Islam by Citizen Warrior. How to Disarm Good People

Police used "excessive force" in dealing with a dispute involving members of a western Sydney family accused of assaulting officers, a court has been told.

Ninemsn
Jan.3 2013

Members of the Mehanna family have been charged with assaulting police, resisting police and affray after police responded to reports of a domestic incident at their home in Bankstown, in Sydney's west, at 12.30am (AEDT) on Wednesday.
Police allege members of the family assaulted officers after they were called to the scene.

Seven NSW Police officers assaulted in Sydney's Occupied Territories by Muslim Family aka. Labor's Vote People

As police were in the driveway preparing to leave, a family member allegedly punched a probationary constable, giving him a black eye, police said on Wednesday.
The remaining family members allegedly joined the assault on the officer before other officers came to his aid.
On Thursday, five members of the family were granted bail after appearing via an audio-visual link from the cells at Penrith police station.
As part of their bail conditions, Mohammed Mehanna and his 18-year-old triplets Ali and Zainab Mehanna and Hussain Mehanni are required to report twice a week to Bankstown police station and must live at their Bankstown address.

Another sibling, 21-year old Adele Mehanna, who is charged with affray and resisting police, was also granted bail in a separate hearing.
Appearing for Adele Mehanna, defence lawyer Greg Heathcote told the court there were "two sides to the story" and police had reacted "excessively" in dealing with the matter.
"This is a very emotive matter," he told the court.
"The case of the defence in all matters is excessive force by police.
"In trying to prevent assault on members of his family, as a result, (Adele Mehanna) was arrested.

Prosecutors opposed bail on the grounds that Adele Mehanna had prior police assault charges and five breach of bail conditions.

Appearing agitated, Mehanna interjected as the prosecution put forward its case.
"You are going to make things worse.
"It was a family argument between two girls and police pepper-sprayed my f***ing family.
That's my whole f***ing family."

Getting Through: How to Talk to Non-Muslims About the Disturbing Nature of Islam by Citizen Warrior. How to Disarm Good People

Relatives of the family in court appeared visibly upset, crying as Magistrate John McIntosh asked Mehanna to stop interrupting proceedings.
Mr McIntosh imposed strict bail conditions, including requiring Mehanna to report to Bankstown police daily and imposing a curfew between 10pm and 5am (AEDT).
Mehanna and his four other family members are due to appear at Bankstown local court on January 24.
His 41-year-old mother, who has also been charged, is due to appear Bankstown Local Court on February 13.

Mother, Rafah Mehanna 41

Daughter Zainab 18

Father Mohamed Mehanna Mother, Rafah, 41,Ali and Hussain, and daughter Zainab 18, Adel, 21,

Father Mohamed Mehanna

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