A Sydney man was arrested today and charged with trying to facilitate "terrorist acts" by publishing a book of rules for jihad or holy war.
Police told a Sydney court that 34-year-old Mr Belal Khazaal, a former Qantas baggage handler, created a book called "Provisions in the Rules of Jihad" which was published on the Internet in late 2003 - an offence under new Australian anti-terror laws.
British-born Australian Jack Roche, a 50-year-old Muslim convert, was sentenced to nine years in jail yesterday for conspiring to bomb the Israeli embassy in Canberra in 2000.
Roche said he had made a trip to Afghanistan in March 2000, met al-Qaeda head Osama bin Laden and undergone explosives training, but that he had never intended to bomb the embassy.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) said they had arrested Mr Khazaal outside his Sydney home this morning.
"The AFP executed a search warrant at the man's home, seizing a number of documents and a computer hard drive," police said.
Mr Khazaal was charged with "one count of collecting or making documents likely to facilitate terrorist acts", police said. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years jail.
Mr Khazaal was granted bail to appear in court on July 6th.