British-born Muslim 'in bomb plot' to be tried in Australia

A British-born Muslim convert charged with plotting to blow up Israeli diplomatic missions in Australia has been ordered to face a committal hearing early next year.

Jack Roche appeared before a heavily guarded Perth magistrates' court yesterday. He did not apply for bail and his lawyer, Robert Mazza, said he planned to plead not guilty.

Mr Roche, 49, an Australian citizen who claims to have trained with al-Qa'ida in Afghanistan, was arrested last month during an investigation into Jamaah Islamiya (JI), the regional terrorist organisation linked to al-Qa'ida. He was charged with conspiring in Malaysia, Pakistan and Afghanistan between February and May 2000 "to destroy or damage by fire or explosives" the Israeli embassy in Canberra and the Sydney consulate. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for plotting to damage property and 25 years for conspiring to harm diplomatic staff.

Mr Roche claims to have met Osama bin Laden and Hambali, a key figure in JI, who asked him to recruit three or four Caucasians in Australia to form an al-Qa'ida cell.

* An eighth British national is being detained at Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay, the Government said yesterday.