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| Down Under |
| Former Iraqi Diplomat Treated Unfairly, Says Son |
| 2005-05-04 |
| The son of an Iraqi diplomat at the centre of a storm over New Zealand's border security says his father has been unfairly singled out. Zuhair Mohammed Al-Omar had his visitor's visa revoked on Monday after an Immigration Service investigation revealed he entered New Zealand in breach of a policy banning former officials in deposed dictator Saddam Hussein's regime. Al-Omar was identified after a search prompted by claims by NZ First leader Winston Peters that a former minister and senior member of Saddam's Baath party was in the country. But Al-Omar's son, Omar Zuhair Al-Omar, said yesterday that his father was not the man Mr Peters referred to, but a career diplomat who had spent most of his life outside Iraq. He had declared his past when he and his wife applied to come to Auckland to see their son, a New Zealand citizen. Mr Al-Omar Jr said his father's career began in 1964 — the year after a Baathist coup in Iraq was defeated and four years before the party finally seized power. Mr Al-Omar said his father served under both regimes and was posted to Cuba, Bangladesh, America, Yugoslavia and South Africa, where he was ambassador during the United States-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. His father had a police clearance from the present Iraqi regime, as well as clearances from the countries he worked in. His father declined requests for an interview yesterday, and his son said he had yet to decide whether to appeal against the order to leave. He has 12 days left. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #2 The poor misunderstood Soddy's, on the terrorist watch list, and enroute to Mexico City via KLM were only going to see their father who lived there, too. Close families. |
| Posted by: Danielle 2005-05-04 15:37 |
| #1 Let's see - that nanoviolin must be around here someplace. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-05-04 11:11 |