Jack Roche
Encyclopedia
Jack Roche or 'Jihad Jack' as he has been labelled is an Australian convicted on a charge of conspiring to commit an offence provided for by the Crimes (Internationally Protected Persons) Act 1976, namely intent to endanger the lives of Israeli diplomats in Canberra
, Australia
.
A Muslim convert, Roche was convicted of conspiring to bomb the Israel
i embassy in Canberra in 2000. The plan was never carried out. In June 2004, he was sentenced to nine years in prison
effective from 18 November 2002 when he was arrested. A non-parole period of 4½ years was fixed, and as such he was released on 17 May 2007. He had faced a maximum sentence of 25 years.
city of Hull
. He then moved to Australia in 1978. In 1992, he converted to Islam
, claiming that he did it in an effort to curb a drinking problem. At a Sydney
mosque
, he met the head of the terrorist group called Jemaah Islamiyah
, an arm of al-Qaeda
in Southeast Asia
, and pledged his allegiance to the group. He then travelled to Indonesia
to learn more about Islam, where he met his third, and current, wife.
In 2000, Roche travelled to Afghanistan
, where he met with al-Qaeda leaders, such as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
and ultimately Osama bin Laden
. After that, he received training in terrorist techniques. He was then instructed to set up a terror cell in Australia and to target Israeli interests in the country, including the plot to bomb the Israeli embassy. Roche admits to having taken part in the plot, but said he did not plan to carry it out. He admitted to carrying out surveillance on Australian targets, but was unsuccessful in bringing in new recruits for the cell. In July 2000 Roche contacted ASIO via telephone 3 times in order to alert authorities as to dangerous elements evolving within islamic communities in Australia. He had vital information regarding the locations of top Al Qaeda operatives including Khalid Shaikh Muhammd and Osama bin Ladin amongst others (in fact 6 of the FBI's top most wanted at the time). Roche maintains that had the necessary authorities taken the time to listen to his story, the events of September 11, 2001 and the Bali bombings in October 2002 could have been prevented. According to Roche, Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, whom Roche named as the head of Jemaah Islamiyah, eventually called him in August 2000 and ordered him to cancel the plan, having initially given Roche the go ahead to 'do what Hambali had instructed him to do'. Ba'asyir, who is in custody in Indonesia, and who is thought to be linked to terrorist organizations, denies the connection with Jemaah Islamiyah.
Since he was released on 17 May 2007, he lives in South Perth.
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
A Muslim convert, Roche was convicted of conspiring to bomb the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i embassy in Canberra in 2000. The plan was never carried out. In June 2004, he was sentenced to nine years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
effective from 18 November 2002 when he was arrested. A non-parole period of 4½ years was fixed, and as such he was released on 17 May 2007. He had faced a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Early life
He was born as Paul George Holland in 1953, in the EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
city of Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
. He then moved to Australia in 1978. In 1992, he converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, claiming that he did it in an effort to curb a drinking problem. At a Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, he met the head of the terrorist group called Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiah , is a Southeast Asian militant Islamic organization dedicated to the establishment of a Daulah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei...
, an arm of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, and pledged his allegiance to the group. He then travelled to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
to learn more about Islam, where he met his third, and current, wife.
In 2000, Roche travelled to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, where he met with al-Qaeda leaders, such as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is a Kuwait-born militant in U.S. custody in Guantánamo Bay for alleged acts of terrorism, including mass murder of civilians....
and ultimately Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. After that, he received training in terrorist techniques. He was then instructed to set up a terror cell in Australia and to target Israeli interests in the country, including the plot to bomb the Israeli embassy. Roche admits to having taken part in the plot, but said he did not plan to carry it out. He admitted to carrying out surveillance on Australian targets, but was unsuccessful in bringing in new recruits for the cell. In July 2000 Roche contacted ASIO via telephone 3 times in order to alert authorities as to dangerous elements evolving within islamic communities in Australia. He had vital information regarding the locations of top Al Qaeda operatives including Khalid Shaikh Muhammd and Osama bin Ladin amongst others (in fact 6 of the FBI's top most wanted at the time). Roche maintains that had the necessary authorities taken the time to listen to his story, the events of September 11, 2001 and the Bali bombings in October 2002 could have been prevented. According to Roche, Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, whom Roche named as the head of Jemaah Islamiyah, eventually called him in August 2000 and ordered him to cancel the plan, having initially given Roche the go ahead to 'do what Hambali had instructed him to do'. Ba'asyir, who is in custody in Indonesia, and who is thought to be linked to terrorist organizations, denies the connection with Jemaah Islamiyah.
Since he was released on 17 May 2007, he lives in South Perth.