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Australian Federal Police, Acting Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney and Victoria State Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton James Ross via AP

Australian police charge man over alleged New Year's Eve terror attack

Ali Ali had downloaded instructions from an al-Qaida website on how to launch a terrorist attack.

AUSTRALIAN POLICE HAVE arrested a man accused of planning a mass shooting for New Year’s Eve in a crowded Melbourne square.

Ali Ali, a 20-year-old Australian-born citizen with Somali parents, was trying to obtain an automatic rifle to attack the downtown Federation Square in Australia’s second-largest city, Victoria State Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said.

Thousands of revellers pack the square each year on New Year’s Eve.

Ali downloaded instructions from an al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula website on how to launch a terrorist attack and how to use guns, Patton said.

Patton described Ali as “a person who’s expressed an intention to try and kill as many people as he could through shooting them”.

He said authorities have eliminated the threat of the attack, saying “the risk that was posed by this person has been removed”.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan said police arrested four extremist last December over a similar plot to attack Federal Square and other public places in Melbourne over the Christmas-New Year period. The four will stand trial next year on terrorism charges.

Keenan urged the public to continue with their usual routines over the period and expect to see a heavy police presence.

“The aim of these terrorists is to foster fear and intimidation, but Australians should be able to go about their business secure in the understanding that the government has worked very closely with law enforcement and other security agencies to keep them safe,” Keenan told reporters.

Counterterrorism police had been monitoring the latest suspect, a known extremist and a sympathiser of the Islamic State group, this year and detained him as he met with people in an attempt to acquire a gun, Patton said.

Australia has strict gun laws and automatic weapons are banned from private ownership.

The man is the 74th suspect arrested in Australia in 31 counterterrorism investigations since Australia’s terrorism threat level was elevated to “probable” in September 2014.

The plot was the 14th that police say they had disrupted since the terrorist threat level was raised. Five plots have been executed.

Ali appeared in a Melbourne court today on charges of preparing to commit a terrorist attack and collecting documents to facilitate a terrorist act. People convicted of those crimes in Australia face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Ali was not required to plea to the charges and did not apply to be released on bail.

Search warrants were issued yesterday at a home in a suburb where the suspect lived with his parents and siblings, at a relative’s address in another suburb and at a computer business where he once had a part-time job.

Read: Politicians warned ‘the door will be shut in their faces’ if there’s a Christmas election

More: Poolbeg incinerator facing charges of unsafe gas temperature at Dublin 4 site

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    Mute The Dude
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    Nov 28th 2017, 7:48 AM

    Hmm why was my comment removed

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    Mute Brendan Cooney
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    Nov 28th 2017, 7:53 AM

    @The Dude: was it relevant?

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    Mute just readin
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    Nov 28th 2017, 7:54 AM

    @The Dude: Did you disparage everyone who follows a religion because of the actions of one man ?

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    Nov 28th 2017, 8:02 AM

    @just readin: Nope, I simply noted the country his parents are from, that’s all :)

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    Nov 28th 2017, 8:11 AM

    @The Dude: so you tried to extrapolate the actions of a single person to the people of an entire country. Sounds exactly like what i was exposed to during the troubles in northern Ireland when ever i went to the UK. Wasnt right then and its not right now.

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    Nov 28th 2017, 8:21 AM

    @Brendan Cooney: Am I not allowed to make a simple note without putting up with your bs.

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    Nov 28th 2017, 9:26 AM

    @The Dude: no

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    Mute Ian Walsh
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    Nov 28th 2017, 11:21 AM

    @The Dude: No need to note the country his parents are from, it’s in the article. We’re not looking for your inane running commentary.

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    Mute Christy Pop
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    Nov 28th 2017, 12:53 PM

    @Brendan Cooney: only out of bed are you

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    Mute The Dude
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    Nov 28th 2017, 1:04 PM

    @The Dude: You’re giving me a bad reputation dude.

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    Mute Steve Austin
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    Nov 28th 2017, 2:38 PM

    @The Dude: my comment has been removed as well. …it would seem that stating facts about the religion of peace is not wanted on the journal….

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    Nov 28th 2017, 2:37 PM

    whats the point the journal of having a comments section if people are not allowed place comments, why is this religion getting special treatment?

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