Guilty of planning terrorist act

[ditch]

Today a Pakistani born Australian became the first person convicted under our new anti-terrorism laws. He was charged with planning to blow up the national electricity grid or a local defence site. He had plans of the electricity grid, chemicals for bomb making and aerial photos of the defence sites in his possession when arrested. According to him, Kahlid Lodhi, he was just interested in these things and was really trying to start a business with his family. OK. Call me sceptical, but I don't believe him. Fortunately, neither did the jury, eventually. They took a long time to reach their verdict after urging from the judge to persevere after saying at one satge they could not decide.

So, another example of the not so poor and uneducated being the ones we have to watch out for. Lodhi is an architect and employed by a Sydney firm. Not any more. He could get life. He's a devout Sunni Muslim and will now have plenty of time on his hands to do all the praying he likes.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/prowhaling-win-meaningless-says-campbell/2006/06/19/1150701478632.html

[cdw]

he was just interested in these things and was really trying to start a business with his family. :rofl: what business was that? A demolition company? Congrats to the Aussies for hitting a first! May the quest continue. :)

[ditch]

Yea, demolition. Nice to catch the bastard before and not after.

[ditch]

This bloke was sentenced yesterday. He's been given 20 years and is the first to be imprisoned under the new AA classification which severley restricts his activities while inside. He will have to change cells every two weeks, have all his mail and phone calls monitored, will have his cell searched regularly and never be allowed to eat with other inmates. And so on. No sex, no beer, no cable TV. Its going to be a boring 20 years. Bad luck.

SMH details. (http://www.smh.com.au/news/NATIONAL/Judge-jails-terrorist-Lodhi-until-2019/2006/08/23/1156012577465.html)

[cdw]

Why did the sentencing take so long? Or is that not a long time in Australia?