Australia's two most senior security chiefs have accused Mamdouh Habib of working as a mercenary in Pakistan before his capture by local authorities in October 2001, saying he was paid to train with the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba and offered his services to al-Qaeda.For the first time in Parliament, the Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Mick Keelty, and ASIO's director-general, Dennis Richardson, yesterday spelt out in detail their case against Mr Habib, who was released last month from Guantanamo Bay without charge. Their testimony also revealed ASIO was searching for him in Pakistan before his capture - and before the attacks of September 11, 2001 - because of what it knew of his activities in Afghanistan.
The revelations came as the Government faced greater scrutiny over the Sydney man's allegations he was tortured while in Egypt and Guantanamo Bay.