New Zealand Government Justifies Deportation

New Zealand Prime Minister's office issued an official statement on Monday that supports the government's decision to deport Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali, a citizen of Yemen, to Saudi Arabia on May 30th, due to the fact that the man allegedly represented a security threat for the country.


Although the Immigration Minister David Cunliffe claims that the man is not known to have conducted any terrorist activities within New Zealand, he did acknowledge that the real reason why this man was deported was because he was indeed the former roommate of one the September 11 airplane hijackers, according to US government reports: "[He was deported for his] direct association with people involved in the 9/11 bombing, the nature of his ... activities in the United States (and) the general nature of his activities in New Zealand."

These mention the fact that Rayed Abdullah was a close friend of Saudi Arabian Hani Hanjour, one of the terrorists who was aboard the plane that crashed into the Pentagon in the 9/11 tragic events, yet the former was never charged with anything in relation to these terrorist attacks.

Governmental authorities stated that the man entered New Zealand in February on the basis of allegedly following English courses in Auckland, but was arrested one day later in Palmerston North, 335 miles south of Auckland, because he was taking flying lessons at the Manawatu Districts Aero Club.

The authorities explained the fact that their apprehension can be justified given the man's history: "When you have someone who clearly has been a close associate of a terrorist who took a plane into the Pentagon, it's clearly not useful to be providing them with pilot training in New Zealand", stated Helen Clark, New Zealand's Prime Minister.