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NATS BACK GOVT HANDLING OF DEPORTATION LINKED TO SEPTEMBER 11(New Zealand Press Association Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Wellington, June 11 NZPA - National leader Don Brash says he agrees with the deportation of a man who had links with a September 11 terrorist. Immigration Minister David Cunliffe confirmed on Saturday that Yemeni national, Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali, was deported because his continued presence in New Zealand posed a threat to national security. Dr Brash's spokeswoman said he had been briefed by Government officials. ``He agrees with the actions taken by the Government and he isn't saying anything else,'' the spokeswoman said. Mr Cunliffe said in a statement that Rayed Abdullah had entered the country undetected in February because he had used a variation on his name. The Herald on Sunday reported that he had entered New Zealand in February on a student visa, with his full name in his passport and making no secret of his identity. The Sunday Star-Times said Rayed Abdullah's name was spelt Raed on his passport - different from the US's suspect lists Mr Cunliffe has not said how his identity became clear, but once it did so, Rayed Abdullah was identified as having close connections to people involved with the September 11 2001 attacks in the United States, and had been named in the 9/11 Commission Report. The Herald on Sunday speculates he may have been allowed into the country deliberately to be monitored. After entering New Zealand, he attended English language classes before moving to Palmerston North, where he was building up his flying hours flying with an instructor. He had previously trained as a pilot in the United States. Mr Cunliffe refused to give further details citing security reasons. ``I am advised, however, that at no point was there any specific risk to New Zealanders during the man's time in this country.'' Mr Cunliffe said the American report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States had said the man lived and trained with Saudi Arabian Hani Hanjour. Hanjour is believe to have piloted the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on September 11 2001. Rayed Abdullah was also a leader at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Phoenix and reportedly gave extremist speeches at the mosque, the report said. It is unclear why the US never detained Rayed Abdullah if they maintained such suspicions about him. Mr Cunliffe said immigration officials and police arrested the man in Palmerston North on May 29 and he was deported to Saudi Arabia the next day. The Sunday Star-Times reports that Security Intelligence Service agents questioned flying staff school around six weeks ago and police told the Manawatu Aero School that Rayed Abdullah was under surveillance. The Herald on Sunday said US agents were also involved in the surveillance and wanted him to remain at large and followed, before Rayed Abdullah's association with September 11 and the fact he was flying planes in New Zealand became too much for the Government. The deportation was made under a rarely used section of the Immigration Act that allows someone to be deemed a threat to security to be deported by an order in council from the Governor-General. Mr Cunliffe said the deportation was due to Rayed Abdullah's association with the September 11 attacks, his activities in the US and within New Zealand. Manawatu Districts Aero Club president Grant Hadfield said Rayed Abdullah had flown light trainer airplanes with an instructor at the club for five or six hours. He said the man's background had been checked by the club's chief instructor, who found no reason to believe he posed any threat. ``We had no reason to suggest there was anything to suspect'' about the man, Mr Hadfield said. ``He was always polite, courteous and confident as a person and a pilot.'' Rayed Abdullah's flying instructor in Auckland, Captain Ravindra Singh, said his student had told him directly he did not know anyone connected with the September 11 attacks. Captain Singh quoted him as saying he was angry with the terrorists because they had ``ruined'' his chances of becoming a commercial pilot. (SEEKING COMMENT FROM CUNLIFFE) NZPA PAR il cw |