A follow up to this story of 2/11/08. It's not good when authorities are baffled, possums. Or when the New Zealand high authorities only learn of your detention through news reports.
Geez. He had two passports, a recording device and notebooks. Officials can't figure out who issued his visa, or what he was doing there, and they throw water on the idea that he was there to marry a local girl because of local values and mores. So, is he a journalist? Does he have 'jihadist tendencies'?
And is he a new recruit of Tablighi Jamaat?
His family in New Zealand want the issue to remain private and away from the public. I'm sure they do. I say too darn bad.
From stuff.nz
Officials are baffled as to why a New Zealand man, suspected
of having links with Islamic militants, was trying to enter an al Qaeda
and Taliban stronghold in Pakistan. Mark Taylor, 35, was detained at a paramilitary checkpost on
the outskirts of Tank, a town about 280 kilometres southwest of
Islamabad, after being found on a bus.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry was trying to organise a legal
representative for Mr Taylor last night and had contacted his family to
advise that he had been detained. "We have no idea why he was detained, but the family want the issue
to remain private and away from the public," a spokeswoman said.
The consul was inquiring into the detained man's wellbeing and
liaising with the closest New Zealand embassy in the region, which was
in Tehran.
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said the Government was concerned
Mr Taylor may have got himself into trouble, but it was in the hands of
local authorities.
Pakistan media agencies reported that a senior security official
said Mr Taylor "appears to be motivated by jihad". Intelligence
officials, who declined to be identified, said they suspected he might
have links with militants. "He was travelling in a passenger van. He has a beard and was
wearing a shalwar kamiz as a disguise," an official said, referring to
the traditional baggy trousers and tunic.
Other Pakistan media agencies said Mr Taylor was travelling to marry a local girl, a claim that gave officials "a big laughter".
The South Asia News reported that Mr Taylor was carrying
New Zealand and Australian passports. He also had a tape recorder. "It
appears that he might be a journalist, but he has not admitted that so
far," an official said. Another media agency, Dawn Edition, reported that Mr Taylor had valid documents.
"Taylor told police he was going to Waziristan to get married. He
said he had four wives, but all of them had died and now he planned to
marry a tribal woman."
Irfan Shaukat, first secretary of the Pakistan high commission in
Wellington, said the first the high commission knew of Mr Taylor's
arrest was through news reports. "We don't think he got a visa from us.
Maybe he got it in Australia."
In Canberra, Pakistan's deputy high commissioner, Tasawar Khan, said
a visa had not been issued there, but one may have been issued in
Sydney.
A Christchurch Islamic expert, who asked not to be named, said his
first thought on hearing the story was that Taylor might have become
caught up with the global Tablighi Jamaat movement.
Members are trained missionaries who travel around mosques
encouraging people to follow Islamic principles and the life of
Muhammad through his teachings. They claim to be non-political but are highly conservative and often target new converts. "Some of them might say `come up to the mountains and we will find you a good Muslim bride someone chaste'."
Reports indicate that although Tablighi Jamaat is widely considered
as a missionary group, its members are becoming increasingly radical
and have been linked to the recruitment of young men for training camps
in Pakistan.
Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand president Javed
Khan said the South Waziristan area was very dangerous for foreigners. It was also highly conservative, making it unlikely Taylor would be there to marry a local tribeswoman. "The good thing is he is in the hands of the authorities, not in the hands of the Taliban," Khan said.
Remember David Hicks, the Australian who trained with al Qaeda, fought with the Taliban and ended up spending 7 years at Gitmo before being released back to Australia? Yeah, that Tali-dude. Now he's eyeing the Messiah with longing and saying 'he'll do anything to clear his name'. Hate to break it to you possums, but the way thing's are going these days he just might succeed.
From smh.com.au
Convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks will take up any
opportunity presented by the new US administration to clear his name,
his father says.
Terry Hicks says his son has
watched with interest the inauguration of Barack Obama and he and his
lawyers have noted the new president's early moves to suspend military
trials at Guantanamo Bay, and to have the detention facility closed.
