Fucking dingbats:
http://www.news.com....894df4ede3e7b96
Robert ‘Musa’ Cerantonio: Fall of an Aussie Islamic State fanboy
MAY 12, 20169:51PM
Liz Burke
news.com.au
@lizeburke
HE’S been described as a “spiritual authority” and an “inspiration” to jihadists, but the Aussie wannabe terrorist’s harebrained plot to sail towards Syria in a tinnie was an extraordinary fail.
Robert “Musa” Cerantonio has worked hard to build up his reputation as an Islamic State authority among jihadist wannabes.
But the foiled plan to flee Australia for Syria with four of his would-be foreign fighter mates may have done some serious damage to the bad boy’s tough image.
Melbourne born and Catholic raised, Cerantonio converted to Islam at 17.
He was a star on the footy field and a well known party boy during his days at Footscray Technical College, then threw it all away for a spot on the local hate preaching circuit.
He also spent some time preaching overseas on a TV station in Cairo, but his views proved too extreme for the broadcaster and he began preaching on social media.
In a 2014 report published by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, Cerantonio was identified as one of the two most important “new spiritual authorities” recruiting foreign fighters.
The now 30-year-old emerged as an IS poster boy, becoming notorious for posting videos of his radical views to social media that were sympathetic to the terror outfit.
He would preach the message of Islam and the importance of Sharia law, and encourage his online followers to pledge allegiance to IS.
This week’s attempt to sail a small boat to Indonesia and catch a flight to Syria was not the IS heavyweight’s first attempt to reach the forbidden destination.
He was arrested in the Philippines in 2014 after saying he was en route to Syria, and since then kept a relatively low profile.
Though Cerantonio has been quiet, his commitment to the caliphate and recruiting doesn’t seem to have softened.
The alleged ringleader of the scheme spanning land, sea and air travel to get to Syria, busted by the Australian Federal Police on Tuesday, had brought a bunch of alleged IS enthusiasts along for the ride.
Kadir Kaya, Shayden Thorne, Paul Dacre and another Melbourne man joined Cerantonio to cross the Arafura Sea to Indonesia.
Each of the men, all under 30, were under the watch of national authorities and had had their passports cancelled.
Kaya publicly voiced his desire to leave Australia after his Turkish passport was cancelled and Australia passport refused, in an interview with Melbourne’s 3AW radio station in October last year.
The 21-year-old told host Neil Mitchell he “hates Australia” and wanted to get out, but claimed his intention was to join Turkish forces to fight against IS.
Kaya said he felt like he was being held in “an open-air prison” not being allowed to leave the country.
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Another of the crew, Perth man Shayden Thorne, was deported to Australia in 2014 after being jailed in Saudi Arabia in 2011 over possessing terror related materials.
He is the older brother to well-known firebrand preacher Junaid Thorne.
Little is known about the other two men, other than they are from Melbourne and have previously had their passports cancelled.
The crew was arrested after being stopped by authorities north of Cairns, after towing a seven metre boat from Melbourne with the intention of launching into seas towards Indonesia.
The five men are now facing possible charges under Australia’s counter-terrorism laws.
The boat which the five alleged terrorists were planning to take from far north Queensland to Indonesia to join the fight on terrorism. Picture: Anna Rogers
The boat which the five alleged terrorists were planning to take from far north Queensland to Indonesia to join the fight on terrorism. Picture: Anna RogersSource:News Corp Australia
On Wednesday, Victoria Police deputy commissioner Shane Patton explained the decision to stop the group leaving Australia, warning of the risk if they returned combat hardened and radicalised.
“I know there’d be people sitting at home saying ‘why don’t you simply just let them go and take their chance in the waves and fighting in Syria’,” he said in Melbourne.
“We have a requirement to ensure that people can’t get offshore to go and fight in other countries, can’t get offshore to become hardened terrorists and come back here and pose a risk.”
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My preferred course would have been to let them launch ... then sink them, ensuring no survivors.
"Fortune favors the bold, though statistics favor the cautious." - Indomitable Courteous (Icy) Fist, The Palace Job - Patrick Weekes
"Well well well ... if it ain't The Invisible C**t." - Billy Butcher, The Boys
"I have strong views about not tempting providence and, as a wise man once said, the difference between luck and a wheelbarrow is, luck doesn’t work if you push it." - Colonel Orhan, Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City - KJ Parker