Serbian
January 4th, 2011, 12:07 AM
Muslims with war records watched
Detailed reports on potential terrorist activity in New Zealand included warnings from police to United States officials that some local Muslims fought in wars such as Afghanistan and Bosnia, WikiLeaks cables show.
They also told US security officers that they were watching at least one resident, identified only as "Hamam", who had expressed anti-Western views.
The warnings, in cables from 2005, showed the US embassy's emergency action committee in Wellington had no information to indicate a terrorist cell was operating in New Zealand.
But it said police were investigating several individuals in a cable that noted there were about 50,000 Muslims in New Zealand, including 708 Maori converts.
"The New Zealand Police recently provided information indicating some New Zealand Muslims have fought in Afghanistan, Bosnia and possibly Chechnya," the cable said.
"The police are also looking at some New Zealand citizens/residents who may have travelled to the Middle East, including Iraq. A specific example of such a person involves an individual known only as `Hamam'."
It said he was an Afghan veteran and a surgeon from Egypt.
"He is currently living in Auckland on state benefits and refuses to become employed. He stays in a local mosque and espouses anti-Western views. He is being monitored by the New Zealand Police."
Most investigations did not involve law enforcement agencies because there had been no indication of criminal behaviour.
"However, NZSIS and the New Zealand Police are cooperating on a joint investigation involving Algerian/Moroccan credit card fraud for links to terrorism."
It said the Government had been investigating various individuals who may have connections to terrorist organisations such as the Tamil Tigers, Ansar al-Islam and al Qaeda.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4475135/Muslims-with-war-records-watched
Detailed reports on potential terrorist activity in New Zealand included warnings from police to United States officials that some local Muslims fought in wars such as Afghanistan and Bosnia, WikiLeaks cables show.
They also told US security officers that they were watching at least one resident, identified only as "Hamam", who had expressed anti-Western views.
The warnings, in cables from 2005, showed the US embassy's emergency action committee in Wellington had no information to indicate a terrorist cell was operating in New Zealand.
But it said police were investigating several individuals in a cable that noted there were about 50,000 Muslims in New Zealand, including 708 Maori converts.
"The New Zealand Police recently provided information indicating some New Zealand Muslims have fought in Afghanistan, Bosnia and possibly Chechnya," the cable said.
"The police are also looking at some New Zealand citizens/residents who may have travelled to the Middle East, including Iraq. A specific example of such a person involves an individual known only as `Hamam'."
It said he was an Afghan veteran and a surgeon from Egypt.
"He is currently living in Auckland on state benefits and refuses to become employed. He stays in a local mosque and espouses anti-Western views. He is being monitored by the New Zealand Police."
Most investigations did not involve law enforcement agencies because there had been no indication of criminal behaviour.
"However, NZSIS and the New Zealand Police are cooperating on a joint investigation involving Algerian/Moroccan credit card fraud for links to terrorism."
It said the Government had been investigating various individuals who may have connections to terrorist organisations such as the Tamil Tigers, Ansar al-Islam and al Qaeda.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4475135/Muslims-with-war-records-watched