Posted on 11/24/2003 9:32:20 AM PST by knighthawk
OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Norway on Monday rejected Jordan's extradition request for the suspected spiritual leader of an Iraq-based Islamic militant group allegedly linked to al-Qaida.
Norway said the documentation did not provide sufficient grounds to open the case for Mullah Krekar.
Krekar, a refugee in Norway, is considered the spiritual leader of Ansar al-Islam, a group of fundamentalist Islamic Kurds in northern Iraq listed by the United States and United Nations as a terrorist group.
Jordan in January demanded Krekar's extradition on drug charges, immediately after the Netherlands rejected the same request and deported Krekar to Norway.
The Norwegian Justice Ministry said public prosecutors had thoroughly investigated Jordan's allegations about Krekar.
"The public prosecutors have not found the grounds to bring the case to court because the extradition request and the documents later received from Jordanian authorities do not adequately show that there are grounds," a ministry news release said.
Krekar's attorney, Brynjar Meling, said, "This is a relief, but it should have happened 11 months ago."
Krekar, born Najm al-Din Faraj Ahmad, was leader of a group of up to 600 Islamic militants in the mountains of northern Iraq.
During a visit to Oslo in September, Attorney General John Ashcroft called Ansar al-Islam a "very dangerous group" and said the organization maintained a network for terrorist training camps in northern Iraq.
Krekar has denied links with al-Qaida, although he has called Osama bin Laden "a good Muslim." He has also denied any connection with recent bombings and terror attacks in Iraq, or any role in smuggling drugs in Jordan.
Krekar was arrested at the airport outside Amsterdam on Sept. 12, 2002, after Iran had denied him entry and sent him back to Europe, tipping off Western governments that he was on his way.
He was interrogated twice by the FBI while in Dutch custody, and then deported in January to Norway, where he was arrested again.
He was released from a Norwegian jail in April after a court found insufficient grounds to hold him on terrorism charges. Police dropped the charges in July, but are investigating him on other charges that they refuse to reveal.
Norway has resolved to expel Krekar for violating the terms of his refugee status. His lawyer said that should be dropped before it becomes a court battle. He said he had not immediately been able to reach Krekar.
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