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| Down Under |
| More details on the Sydney recruiting ring |
| 2006-01-07 |
| EFL. ydney supporters of the terror groups' leader in Iraq have reportedly approached Australian Muslims, encouraging them to join the insurgency and donate money to the cause. Two separate approaches have been made on behalf of the insurgency, led in Iraq by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and at least one is under ASIO investigation. One instance reportedly involved a man directly approaching Muslims in Auburn, in Sydney's west, about 12 months ago. Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said the reports were worrying. "These reports about al-Zarqawi supporters in Sydney are profoundly disturbing in terms of Australia's national security," Mr Rudd said. "It is an extraordinary new development that we have now, based on these reports, caused Australia to become some sort of recruiting ground for the Iraq insurgency." However, a spokesman for Sydney's Muslim community dismissed the reports as incredible. The president of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, Keysar Trad, said similar allegations were raised a year ago, but were found to have no substance. "If you speak to any Muslim they will tell you that they disown Zarqawi, that Zarqawi is really a dirty word to most Muslims in Australia," Mr Trad said. "It's strange that there would be an allegation like this floating around, it's really incredible that there is such an allegation." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |