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| Down Under |
| New Zealand: Whoops, Our Border is a Tad Leaky |
| 2005-05-04 |
| Hat tip: LGF The Government has been forced to admit serious problems with New Zealand's border security after two men with links to deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein slipped through the same overseas immigration post. An embarrassed and angry Immigration Minister Paul Swain yesterday admitted a former Iraqi minister was in New Zealand, a day after a former diplomat's presence was uncovered by accident during the search for the minister... He said he had lost confidence in the service's ability to screen applicants at overseas posts, particularly Bangkok, where the two Iraqi men were processed. That post gave a visitor's visa to the former diplomat last year, even though officials knew of his past. Mr Swain said the former minister got a visa after officials failed to make proper background checks. The diplomat's presence was uncovered by accident after NZ First leader Winston Peters claimed a former minister was in New Zealand. Dominion Post inquiries have established the former diplomat is Zuhair Mohammed Al-Omar, a career diplomat whose last posting was to South Africa. He was in that post when the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam began in March 2003. In Parliament yesterday, Mr Peters named the former minister as Amer Mahdi Saleh Khashaly, also known as Amer Mahdi Alkhashali. Mr Peters poured scorn on the Government for failing to track him down... Labour Department workforce deputy secretary Mary Anne Thompson said Khashaly entered New Zealand on an Iraqi passport, but used a UN passport to support his visa application. She could not confirm reports that the UN passport was out of date, though she did confirm that Khashaly's wife came in on a current UN passport. The department was working on Khashaly's whereabouts. Mr Swain said he was not a security risk. In February 2003, a Dominion Post investigation led to a Bangkok employee being sacked after allegations he was running a cash-for-visas ring. Ms Thompson said the office had been strengthened since then. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #6 Cheers for the link, Phil_B,! (Within your gem). Now I can get a Rhodesian Camoflauge Passport and prepare to re-enter from Mocambique. Believe me, the last thing anyone would have wanted is a Rhodesian Passport. Anyway, most times we didn't need one, did this http://www.lewrockwell.com/peirce/peirce53.html instead. |
| Posted by: rhodesiafever 2005-05-04 17:31 |
| #5 How the hell do you sneak onto New Zealand? Doggie paddle from Australia? |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-05-04 16:18 |
| #4 Denethor must be running the border patrol. |
| Posted by: Chris W. 2005-05-04 13:59 |
| #3 When I was there last year, the customs guys went through my tent and boots pretty thoroughly. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-05-04 11:51 |
| #2 ''Well of course our border is leaky. We're an island, ain't we?'' |
| Posted by: BH 2005-05-04 10:17 |
| #1 Its news to me that the UN can issue passports. In fact I reasonably sure they can't. What they can do is issue travel documents to stateless persons. While googling this I came across this gem. In exchange for a 'donation' you can get a diplomatic pasport from these entities, SDG (USD 50.000 to USD 5.000.000 and they can have you made an ambassador to or from any major country with complete immunity), The Holy See of Antioch (Consul-General, Consul or Vice-Consul, which are needed everywhere. The promised donation from USD 10.000), The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (only USD10.000). Can someone elighten me as to who SDG are? |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-05-04 01:48 |