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Tuesday, November 12, 2013 12:43:13 AM
'Australia's first suicide bomber' on video
9 hours ago November 12, 2013 7:43AM
Video
VIDEO has emerged of the man alleged to be Australia's first suicide bomber.
The clip was allegedly published by an al Qaeda-linked group that earlier this year claimed the Australian had blown himself up in an attack on a Syrian army checkpoint.
It shows the jihadist, identified in the group's previous postings as Abu Asma al Australi, standing at the back of a truck used in a suicide bombing.
The truck was reportedly carrying 12 tonnes of explosives.
Draped in a black and white banner with Arabic writing, the man chants praises to Allah in the morning light.
Because the man's face is obscured it is difficult to confirm his identity, but the bomber is believed to be a 27-year-old Brisbane man named Ahmed who had been living in Syria for about a year.
His family today denied on radio it was him, saying he was still alive.
The battle for Ariha: Inside Syria's hidden war .. [lengthy links, so neat, lol]
Zaky Mallah, the Australian representative of the anti Syrian Government group, the Free Syria Army, said the alleged Brisbane suicide bomber who blew himself up in Syria "must have seen the serious devastation, the brutal crimes committed by the Assad regime" and the "bloodshed of the Syrian people" who have died in the civilian strife.
Mr Mallah said he believed Abu Asmah "saw no hope but to give up his life to defend the Syrian people in a suicide martyrdom operation that resulted in the killing of 35 Assad soldiers.
"This is how horrible this war has become"
The video purports to have been published by fundamentalist group Jabhat al Nusrah, which in September claimed the Australian had launched the suicide attack.
The video gives insight into the man's final hours and shows the group preparing the truck bomb used in the attack.
Ahmed was already under investigation by the Australian Federal Police.
Authorities are understood to be investigating the circumstances surrounding the bombing, which occurred at the Deir al-Zour military airport in Syria's east.
The blast claimed the lives of 35 Syrian soldiers.
The absence of physical evidence and the difficulties of obtaining information about foreign fighters in Syria meant authorities could not be 100 per cent certain Ahmed was the bomber.
If confirmed, the man would be the fifth Australian known to have died in the Syrian conflict as at September.
Authorities believe there are about 80 Australians participating in the conflict, in either combat or support roles, according to a report in The Australian .[/yt]
Of those, about 20 per cent are thought to be fighting with al-Nusra Front, which was listed as a terrorist organisation by the Australian Government this year.
Hundreds more are believed to be assisting in other capacities, such as humanitarian relief.
Most are Lebanese dual nationals who enter Syria through Turkey's porous southern border.
About 70 per cent of Australians involved in combat are known to counter-terrorism authorities. It is understood that on average about one Australian a week is leaving for the Syrian conflict zone.
Australians are among the most enthusiastic participants in Syria's two-and-a-half-year civil war, which on some estimates has attracted up to 6000 foreign fighters.
###
http://www.news.com.au/world/australias-first-suicide-bomber-on-video/story-fndir2ev-1226757809201
.. Australian has more of these characters over there per capita than any other country i've heard .. also, just now ust heard an ABC tv news commentator say Abu Asma's name has not been released .. shrug .. unless that's a pseudonym, but it doesn't say so .. lol ..
9 hours ago November 12, 2013 7:43AM
Video
VIDEO has emerged of the man alleged to be Australia's first suicide bomber.
The clip was allegedly published by an al Qaeda-linked group that earlier this year claimed the Australian had blown himself up in an attack on a Syrian army checkpoint.
It shows the jihadist, identified in the group's previous postings as Abu Asma al Australi, standing at the back of a truck used in a suicide bombing.
The truck was reportedly carrying 12 tonnes of explosives.
Draped in a black and white banner with Arabic writing, the man chants praises to Allah in the morning light.
Because the man's face is obscured it is difficult to confirm his identity, but the bomber is believed to be a 27-year-old Brisbane man named Ahmed who had been living in Syria for about a year.
His family today denied on radio it was him, saying he was still alive.
The battle for Ariha: Inside Syria's hidden war .. [lengthy links, so neat, lol]
Zaky Mallah, the Australian representative of the anti Syrian Government group, the Free Syria Army, said the alleged Brisbane suicide bomber who blew himself up in Syria "must have seen the serious devastation, the brutal crimes committed by the Assad regime" and the "bloodshed of the Syrian people" who have died in the civilian strife.
Mr Mallah said he believed Abu Asmah "saw no hope but to give up his life to defend the Syrian people in a suicide martyrdom operation that resulted in the killing of 35 Assad soldiers.
"This is how horrible this war has become"
The video purports to have been published by fundamentalist group Jabhat al Nusrah, which in September claimed the Australian had launched the suicide attack.
The video gives insight into the man's final hours and shows the group preparing the truck bomb used in the attack.
Ahmed was already under investigation by the Australian Federal Police.
Authorities are understood to be investigating the circumstances surrounding the bombing, which occurred at the Deir al-Zour military airport in Syria's east.
The blast claimed the lives of 35 Syrian soldiers.
The absence of physical evidence and the difficulties of obtaining information about foreign fighters in Syria meant authorities could not be 100 per cent certain Ahmed was the bomber.
If confirmed, the man would be the fifth Australian known to have died in the Syrian conflict as at September.
Authorities believe there are about 80 Australians participating in the conflict, in either combat or support roles, according to a report in The Australian .[/yt]
Of those, about 20 per cent are thought to be fighting with al-Nusra Front, which was listed as a terrorist organisation by the Australian Government this year.
Hundreds more are believed to be assisting in other capacities, such as humanitarian relief.
Most are Lebanese dual nationals who enter Syria through Turkey's porous southern border.
About 70 per cent of Australians involved in combat are known to counter-terrorism authorities. It is understood that on average about one Australian a week is leaving for the Syrian conflict zone.
Australians are among the most enthusiastic participants in Syria's two-and-a-half-year civil war, which on some estimates has attracted up to 6000 foreign fighters.
###
http://www.news.com.au/world/australias-first-suicide-bomber-on-video/story-fndir2ev-1226757809201
.. Australian has more of these characters over there per capita than any other country i've heard .. also, just now ust heard an ABC tv news commentator say Abu Asma's name has not been released .. shrug .. unless that's a pseudonym, but it doesn't say so .. lol ..
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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