<p>Wissam Mahmoud Fattal, 34, Saney Edow Aweys, 27 and 26-year old Nayef El Sayed, were found guilty at the Supreme Court and could face life in prison.<br /><br />All are Australian citizens of Lebanese or Somalian origins. Two of their co-accused, Yacqub Khayre, 23 and Abdirahman Ahmed 26 Preston, were found not guilty.<br />Prosecutors alleged the men sought from figures in Somalia a fatwa, or religious ruling, on the permissibility of staging an attack in Australia.<br /><br />The Melbourne men planned to kill as many people as possible in a shootout at the Holsworthy Army Barracks in reaction to Australia's involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and over the jailing of a group of Muslim men on similar charges. The three will appear in court for a mention hearing on January 24, the ABC reported.<br />The court heard they planned a shootout at the Holsworthy army barracks in the belief Islam was under attack from the West.<br /><br />The men remained impassive and expressionless as the verdicts were read out. Afterwards, the three guilty men embraced the two acquitted, slapping them on their backs.<br /><br />Fattal expressed his thanks, calling out to the 12 jurors. "I respect you," he said, adding "Islam is a true religion, thank you very much."<br /><br />Federal Attorney General Robert McClelland said the investigation into the group, codenamed Operation Neath, was a clear example of state and federal police and intelligence community co-operation working to combat the threat of terrorism.<br />The Federal Government says it cannot comment on the verdict, but it is important to acknowledge the police and intelligence agencies behind the arrests in 2009.<br />McClelland said the prosecution was the result of a long and complex joint investigation.<br />The Australian Federal Police tapped the men's phones for the six months leading up to their arrests in August last year during raids across Victoria.<br /><br />The court heard how Aweys and El Sayed did not trust Australia's religious scholars, so sought approval for the attack from two Somali sheikhs.<br /><br />One of the sheikhs said the result would be "catastrophic", but that did not stop Fattal travelling to the army base, a site he later described as a "soft target".<br /><br />In the phone conversations, they often expressed their support for Islamic fighters and some of them said they would be willing to become martyrs to advance the cause of Islam</p>
<p>Wissam Mahmoud Fattal, 34, Saney Edow Aweys, 27 and 26-year old Nayef El Sayed, were found guilty at the Supreme Court and could face life in prison.<br /><br />All are Australian citizens of Lebanese or Somalian origins. Two of their co-accused, Yacqub Khayre, 23 and Abdirahman Ahmed 26 Preston, were found not guilty.<br />Prosecutors alleged the men sought from figures in Somalia a fatwa, or religious ruling, on the permissibility of staging an attack in Australia.<br /><br />The Melbourne men planned to kill as many people as possible in a shootout at the Holsworthy Army Barracks in reaction to Australia's involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and over the jailing of a group of Muslim men on similar charges. The three will appear in court for a mention hearing on January 24, the ABC reported.<br />The court heard they planned a shootout at the Holsworthy army barracks in the belief Islam was under attack from the West.<br /><br />The men remained impassive and expressionless as the verdicts were read out. Afterwards, the three guilty men embraced the two acquitted, slapping them on their backs.<br /><br />Fattal expressed his thanks, calling out to the 12 jurors. "I respect you," he said, adding "Islam is a true religion, thank you very much."<br /><br />Federal Attorney General Robert McClelland said the investigation into the group, codenamed Operation Neath, was a clear example of state and federal police and intelligence community co-operation working to combat the threat of terrorism.<br />The Federal Government says it cannot comment on the verdict, but it is important to acknowledge the police and intelligence agencies behind the arrests in 2009.<br />McClelland said the prosecution was the result of a long and complex joint investigation.<br />The Australian Federal Police tapped the men's phones for the six months leading up to their arrests in August last year during raids across Victoria.<br /><br />The court heard how Aweys and El Sayed did not trust Australia's religious scholars, so sought approval for the attack from two Somali sheikhs.<br /><br />One of the sheikhs said the result would be "catastrophic", but that did not stop Fattal travelling to the army base, a site he later described as a "soft target".<br /><br />In the phone conversations, they often expressed their support for Islamic fighters and some of them said they would be willing to become martyrs to advance the cause of Islam</p>