Lebanon claims 'major role' in Aussie terror plot arrests
PERTH. KAZINFORM Lebanon's interior minister says the country's police intelligence played a major role in foiling a plot to bring down a passenger plane that was supposed to take off from Sydney, Kazinform has learned from the West Australian.
Nouhad Machnouk told reporters that four Lebanese-Australian brothers, including one who is in detention in Lebanon, had planned to blow up the plane bound for Abu Dhabi in UAE with bombs hidden inside a large Barbie doll and a meat grinder.
He said the bombs did not make it onto the plane because the handbag they were placed in was 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds) above the weight permitted by the airline.
Machnouk said the bombs were sent back to the would-be attacker's home in Australia.
He said the attacker then tried to bring two explosives on the plane in case one of them did not work. The second would be detonated by one of the brothers who was supposed to be the suicide attacker.
Australian authorities said late last month that they thwarted a credible terrorist plot to down a plane by smuggling a device onboard. They have provided few details, including the precise nature of the threat or any airlines involved.
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