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THE brother of an Australian
terrorist suspect detained in Lebanon has been
arrested in Iraq by a Kurdish political
organisation.
Ahmad Jamal, 22, from Sydney, has been detained by
the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in northern
Iraq, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT) said today.
The department was notified of his detention by the
International Committee of the Red Cross.
“Consular officials in Baghdad have spoken to PUK
officials and continue to press for confirmation of
his detention and its legal basis,” a DFAT spokesman
said.
“Our efforts to date have been unsuccessful and
we're following up with (Red Cross) officials to
obtain further information. We're doing that through
our consular official Amman in Jordan.”
It was not known when the man was detained, the
spokesman said.
The Daily Telegraph reports his father has said
Ahmad was arrested over confusion with his
identification.
Ahmad Jamal is the brother of Saleh Jamal who was
arrested six months ago in Lebanon after skipping
bail in Sydney on charges of shooting up the Lakemba
police station in 1998.
Lebanese officials claim Saleh Jamal has links to
the most wanted terrorist in Iraq, Jordanian Abu
Musab al-Zarqawi.
The Sunday Mail
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au
From other Sources
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) An Australian man of
Lebanese origin has been detained in northern Iraq
by Kurdish militiamen and Australian officials are
investigating whether the detainee has links to
terrorists, Kurdish and Australian officials said
Sunday.
Ahmed Jalal, 22, was recently arrested by members of
the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in Sulaimaniyah,
160 miles northeast of Baghdad, a PUK official said
on condition of anonymity.
The PUK is one of Iraq's two largest Kurdish groups
and controls an area of Kurdish-dominated northern
Iraq.
The official said Jalal was arrested because his
brother is believed to be detained in Lebanon in
relation to terrorist activities.
Julie McDonald, a Canberra-based spokeswoman for the
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, confirmed
that a Sydney man had been detained by the PUK in
northern Iraq.
''This matter is under investigation by proper
authorities who are looking into possible terrorist
connections of the detained 22-year-old,'' McDonald
said without identifying him or elaborating further.
McDonald said Australian officials in Baghdad had
learned of the man's arrest on Nov. 30 from the
International Committee of the Red Cross and that
his relatives in Sydney, Australia's largest city,
have been notified.
''Australian consular officials in Baghdad have
spoken to PUK officials and are continuing to press
for further information on the circumstances and
legal status of his detention,'' McDonald said.
Iraq's Kurdish areas have enjoyed relative quiet and
autonomy as compared to other areas in the country,
but Islamic militant groups have this year targeted
Kurdish politicians and forces in bid to destabilize
the region.
(AP)
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