Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Plot Thickens

For the context, first read my 13/10/14 post Why Was Mustafa Dirani Targeted on September 18?

Q&A, 3/11/14:

Walid Sabone: The Muslim community is still perplexed on the police raid of 20 Muslim homes. There were allegations of unnecessary force by the police, allegations that some of the suspects did not know each other and the police went to all this trouble and only achieved one arrest and seized one plastic sword. How did the police get it so wrong...

Neil Gaughan (Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner): ... the reasons why those warrants were executed is we had credible information to suggest that a terrorist attack was imminent and we took the appropriate course of action and we have no apologies for that... It was not a plastic sword that was seized. I will get that very clear.

Tony Jones: What was it?

Neil Gaughan: It was a legitimate sword that was seized. It wasn't plastic. It was taken because it was a weapon..."

Sydney Morning Herald, 5/11/14:

"The owner of a sword seized in counterterrorism raids in Sydney insists it is a plastic religious decoration and claims police told him it would be returned to his mother." (Seized sword was plastic, owner insists, Rachel Olding)

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

A Tale of the Plastic Fantastic.

Australians were told by Prime Minister Tony Abbott that some freedoms may have to shift as a result of some post online by some crackpot purporting to represent the so called 'Sunni Muslim' group Islamic State, Muhammad al-Adnani.

The latter crackpot, al-Adnani, is reported to have urged his [un-Islamic] 'Sunni' followers to
"Kill the disbeliever".

SMH September 22, 2014, "Islamic State followers urged to attack Australians by any means possible".

These 'disbelievers' include Shiite Muslims like the Afghan-born Mustafa Dirani and his family.

The Australian Federal Police then raided the homes of [Shiite] Mustafa Dirani and nineteen others. There was only one arrest but much front page publicity accompanied by huffing and puffing in parliament, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in total agreement, again. Sub judice?

So there needs to be some education here. The question is just who needs to be educated?
Is it the AFP? The Prime Minister? The Leader of the Opposition? The media? is it Mustafa Dirani? Or the whole muddled and confused lot?

Hey Mustafa, don't ya know you're a Shiite? I suspect he does know.

And the sword, is it or isn't it plastic? Does it matter? is it illegal to own a sword? Could the Prime Minister announce a sword amnesty any time soon?

"Cosmetic baby pluged into me
I'd never ever find another
I realize no one's wise
To my plastic fantastic lover"

"Plastic Fantastic Lover", Jefferson Airplane,1967.

patrick connor said...

Dear Anonamous Supporter,
It just doesn't matter if the sword was only plastic eh ? How come ?
Your contribution sounds more like a Breaking News Release from the AFP .

Anonymous said...

Dear Patrick Connor,

I am the anonamous supporter.

I own a sword, it is real, it is a family relic and it belonged to my grandfather. I believe, and a family member has been told by a serving police officer, it is legal for me to own this sword.

Even if the sword belonging to Mustafa Dirani was plastic or not I believe he,like me, has a right to own it.

I am not nor have ever been a member of the AFP or any other police force.

I appreciate your support for Palestine and your vigiliance.

patrick connor said...

Dear Anon ,
You have squeezed a long reply from me.

Ancient Celtic adage , source lost in mists of time : -
"To a suspicious Irishman who is scrutinising controversial police behaviour, EVERYONE looks like a perpetrator or police sympathizer "

My suspicion arises from the following:-
To my mind , for their own reasons , the US and Israel are doing their best to destroy the world .
Our government (and an alarmingly high number of our politicians on both sides) are grovelling to US & Israel (not without personal electoral reward) . Australia is not only encouraging US & Israel , but is actually participating in their disgusting , fraudulent and apparently , permanent wars .
As a part of this ForeignWar Effort , Australia has produced ridiculously unnecessary Big Brother legislation which restricts traditional safeguard against tyranny by the government and police , & restricts access by citizens to the normal remedies , and .........

patrick connor said...

(Continued)
....... and safeguards , & restricts access to legal advice & the Courts , by bypassing the law .
The Australian government has just swallowed & adopted the US & Israeli style of High Secrecy , withholding any meaningful information from the public , because it is too dangerous to do so AND imposing criminal sanctions, such that Whistle blowers who exposes government or police illegality may be THEMSELVES be prosecuted .
Notice , the Australian people were not consulted as to whether Australia should participate in these fraudulent and unjustified wars . Nor was there even a parliamentary debate.

patrick connor said...

(cont)
There is too much inteference .
I will have to finish my comment after I see how much has survived in print .

Anonymous said...

Dear Patrick,
I coudn't agree more. I find it interesting that the Sir Robbert Peel model for police, the London Bobby, was adopted in every Australian state except NSW.

NSW adopted the Royal Irish Constabulary model which aimed to control the restive natives, not protect them.I have no Irish background but can understand 'a suspicious Irishman[s]' point of view just as I can understand the point of view of a dispossessed Palestinian.

I have just started a book that would interest you, "The Three Trillion Dollar War", by Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes, just thumbing through it is mind blowing and I recommend it. Here is an obvious but little understood quote, "In any country, it is noble to fight for one's freedom against the occupier".

The 'coalition of the willing' could not have done a more thorough job of wrecking Iraq,destroying the economic potential of Iraq, dividing Iraq and pitting Iraqi against Iraqi for years to come, even if they had honestly stated that as the real intention of the ten years of sanctions and invasion from the begining.

Still, they are only buying time.

Anon.

patrick connor said...

(cont)
To justify this cloak of high secrecy , an atmosphere of emergency & fear of imminent danger has been contrived , thus robbing the public of ordinary legitimate information , to which we are entitled , & which would clarify exactly what was going on .
Note the silly self-contradictory press release by the AFP when this current "emergency" first arose -
...the country is in imminent danger of terrorist attack , but don't worry , we'll look after you ...

The AFP are being used to implement this tyrannical legislation .......

patrick connor said...

(CONT)
My own experience is that the police (whose job it is to produce results - not protect individual freedoms) , will inevitably cut corners to get those "results" , UNLESS they are prevented by very close scrutiny of their behaviour .
This unnecessary cloak of secrecy is nudging the AFP towards a Stasi-style of Secret Police - as is the FBI in US , already..........

patrick connor said...

(cont)
The Australian people should insist that the role of the AFP is to provide a police SERVICE to Australia - not a Praetorian Guard to pull the wool over the citizens' eyes , while implementing the foreign policy of foreign countries like US & Israel , contrary to the interests of Australia.

The AFP have publicly & officially announced that the SWORD was a proper weapon - NOT plastic .
If the sword was , in fact plastic ......

patrick connor said...

(cont)
...if the sword was , in fact , only plastic , then the AFP appear to be involved in an official COVER-UP , & should be required to provide an explanation .

patrick connor said...

Thanks Anon . I'll check it out. patrick