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Dutch deport ’Islamic militant’
The Dutch Government has deported an Iraqi Kurd suspected of being the leader of an Iraqi-based militant Islamic group with links to al-Qaeda. The Justice Ministry in The Hague said it had decided to expel Mullah Krekar to Norway rather than extradite him to Jordan, where he is wanted for questioning over his alleged involvement in heroin trading. The ministry said the Jordanians had failed to make a strong enough case for the Mullah to be handed over. Mullah Krekar - whose real name is Najm Faraj Ahmad - was arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport in September as he travelled to Norway, where he has had refugee status since 1991. The Dutch were told he was coming, so they were forced to pick him up. He's a hot potato they have now tossed back to Norway. "Confronted with the probability that the extradition request by Jordan for trade in heroin would not be granted and Krekar would have to be released, the minister chose to expel him to Norway," the justice ministry said in a statement. A Norwegian minister, Erna Solberg, said his case was being reviewed to determine whether he should be allowed to stay in Norway. "Thanks for nothing, Amsterdam. What'd we do to you?" But there was no attempt to arrest him when he flew into Oslo airport in a specially chartered jet on Monday. "At this moment he is a free man," one of Mullah Krekar's lawyers told the Dutch news agency ANP. Mullah Krekar was met by a lawyer and his wife and brother - who moved to Norway, along with his children, under a family reunification programme for refugees. His lawyers claim that the Jordanian drug allegation is a trumped up charge, fabricated as a pretext for an extradition request made as a favour to the United States. "Lies, all lies" Mullah Krekar is suspected of being the leader of Ansar al-Islam, or the Supporters of Islam - a staunchly anti-American, Islamist group. He'll fit right in with the neighbors Among the charges laid at Ansar al-Islam's door are claims that it is connected to Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, or Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, and has been involved in testing chemical weapons. I'll take all of the above for $200, Alex Mullah Krekar denies the allegations, especially that he is linked to Saddam Hussein, whom he calls an enemy of the Kurdish people. Norway should threaten to send him to Turkey and let them give him to the Kurdish people. Bet Jordan will look real good then. Posted by: Steve 2003-01-14 |
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