Risk Professional: Belal Khazaal sentenced to nine years

The book purported to be a historical record of terrorist acts carried out in the name of jihad, the Islamic term for personal struggle, a holy war against wrong.

Jihad does not, as many westerners mistakenly believe, mean a form of violent action. It certainly does not mean terrorism or violent acts against Christians, Jews and other non-Muslims - or even Muslims who do not follow a particular interpretation or enforcement of Islam. However, in some extreme cases, some have used violence as a form of conducting jihad.

The title of the work was aimed to draw in as wide an Arabic-reading audience as possible, whilst discouraging casual passers by from reading it in more detail.

The Sydney resident included in the book details of how to shoot down aircraft, to attack motorcades and conduct assassinations.

But Khazaal pleaded not guilty, saying he merely compiled the book from writing submitted by third parties and did not check it in detail. Khazaal is an imposing figure: tall and heavy with a long beard and wearing a cap and middle eastern clothing much of the time. His supporters chanted slogans claiming that he had been targeted because of his religion. His in-court legal team even drew attention to his dress and told the jury that this should not be a cause of prejudice.

Sentencing Khazaal (sometimes spelt Khazal) the Judge said that it "beggars belief" that any reasonable person would not have understood the nature of the material that was published.

Khazaal is of Lebanese extraction and was for some years a baggage handler at Qantas, giving him access to secure areas at Sydney Airport.

Khazaal was, to a degree, hoist by his own petard at his trial which began in 2005 and concluded with a guilty verdict last year, although he was sentenced only yesterday after a remand for reports.

The Court was told that almost a third of the book dealt with how to assassinate government figures with a focus on the US, UK and Australia. It outlined the characteristics of a successful assassin: wit and a quick mind, a terrorist psychology and high physical fitness. It also discusses why the assassination of several prominent figures failed.

But it was the dedication and endispiece that caused him the most trouble: it praised the "impressive success of the conquest of New York" and it was dedicated to "the martyrs of Islam."

Khazaal published the book under the name "Abu Mohamed Attawheedy."

The work was available on a website promoting violent jihad between September 2003 and May 2004.

It described the development of "small cells" and their ability to cause widespread fear and harm to large populations such as the USA, said prosecutors.

The dedication ends "I beseech my brothers who read this message to pray that I may attain martyrdom."

Yesterday, he started a 12 years jail sentence (with time already served set off against that) with an order that he not be considered for parole for at least nine years.

Only he can say whether he considers that either jihad or martydom.