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Down Under
East Timor turned Stewart against Australia
2005-08-11
PRIVATE Mathew Stewart was patrolling the streets of Dili, East Timor, in 2002 when he was confronted with the full horror of live combat.

The quiet soldier and keen surfer from Queensland's Sunshine Coast stumbled upon the almost unrecognisable body of a Dutch journalist killed by militia. Financial Times reporter Sander Thoenes, 30, had been shot in the chest and badly beaten. According to his comrades, Stewart was deeply traumatised by the discovery, his first encounter with death on the front line. He was discharged from the army's 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment for psychological reasons a short time later, sending him into a spiral of depression and self-doubt.
That's got to be one of the most difficult situations for a soldier anywhere, anytime.
While other East Timor veterans looked for a change of lifestyle back home, Stewart began fixing his sights on the war unravelling in Afghanistan in the wake of the attacks on New York the previous year. Furious at his perceived mistreatment in the Australian army, Stewart began making plans to fight for the other side.

Stewart left for Iran around August 8, 2002 and moved into Afghanistan. Authorities believe he joined Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and resolved to fight against the way of life he once served to protect.

When news of Stewart's defection to Afghanistan was made public three years ago, friends and family came forward to describe an easily-led young man who showed no tendencies towards Islamic extremism. "I don't think he's a terrorist. I don't believe that for a second," said Anna Degotardi, who was Stewart's classmate at Immanuel Lutheran College in Mooloolaba in 1992. "He wasn't a leader, he was a bit of a follower but not through anything malicious. I feel really sorry for him. He's a nice guy who had some problems."

Australian Federal Police officers came to Vicki Stewart's home on Wednesday night with a series of still photographs they believed showed her long-missing son brandishing an automatic rifle. Mrs Stewart flatly denied the balaclava-clad man was her son, but this was not enough to convince authorities their interest was misplaced.

One of Stewart's oldest friends, Adam Miechel, told The Daily Telegraph he instantly recognised the heavily-armed man when his image flashed up on the television news this week.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#5  role model?
Posted by: Frank G   2005-08-11 22:05  

#4  Huh? He sees a corpse abused by thugs, so he freaks out decides to become a terrorist?!?

Does. Not. Compute.
Posted by: Scooter McGruder   2005-08-11 19:57  

#3  With any luck, Stewart will be further depressed--about six feet under.
Posted by: Captain America   2005-08-11 19:05  

#2  Interesting Iranian connection point....
Posted by: Captain America   2005-08-11 19:04  

#1  "I don't think he's a terrorist. I don't believe that for a second," said Anna Degotardi, who was Stewart's classmate at Immanuel Lutheran College in Mooloolaba in 1992.

This kind of radical indoctrination is truly frightening. If Lutherans can be brainwashed to this extent, profiling is absolutely useless.
Posted by: Danielle   2005-08-11 12:36  

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