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Posted on 07/16/2002 9:19:39 PM PDT by Shermy
An Australian army reservist who went missing just weeks before the September 11 attacks has been arrested in Houston, Texas, for having links to the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation.
Adam Mark Hart, 21, who served briefly in the Australian Army's 7th Field Regiment, was "ineffectively discharged" last November after he suddenly disappeared in late August.
Hart is the fifth Australian to be linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda or the ousted Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The Howard Government remained tight-lipped about Hart's arrest last night. The Defence Department was forbidden to talk about the matter and referred all calls to the ministers concerned.
A spokeswoman for Attorney-General Daryl Williams said the Government had heard reports of his arrest, but was still investigating the matter.
The Department of Defence was apparently told about the arrest by Hart's mother, who rang asking for his personnel records.
When asked why she needed them, she said, "Because my son has just been arrested in Houston."
Hart apparently joined the reserves in May last year, and on May 28 went on a training course until July 13. The last time he appeared on parade was on August 28, after which he went missing.
Hart is the third Australian with suspected links to al-Qaeda who has been arrested by United States authorities.
The other two are David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib. They are being detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Authorities also believe that several other Australians, who are missing, were associated with al-Qaeda. One is Melbourne man Jihad Thomas, and another is former Australian soldier Matthew Stewart, of Queensland.
The Defence Department today refused to comment on a report that an Australian army reservist was arrested in Houston, Texas for alleged links to the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation.
The 21-year-old served briefly in the army's 7th Field Regiment and suddenly disappeared in late August, The Canberra Times newspaper said.
The reservist reportedly went missing weeks before the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US, the paper said.
The Defence Department told AAP today it could not comment on the matter and referred media calls to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney-General.
Comment was being sought from the two departments.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokeswoman later told AAP a 20-year-old Sydney man had been arrested and charged with criminal trespass on July 11 in Houston.
The man was charged after failing to follow orders to leave a restricted area, she said.
The Australian embassy in Washington and the consulate in Houston were trying to gain consular access to the man, the DFAT spokeswoman said.
Departmental officers had been in contact with the man's family.
But she could not confirm whether or not the man was alleged to have links with al-Qaeda.
AAP
; )
What kind of PC krep is "ineffectively discharged?" Does that mean he went AWOL? <
Excellent thought!
Ping for possible Refinery story update.
July 11
Pasadena Put On Terrorist Threat Alert Residents React To Possible Threat Posted: 10:15 a.m. CDT
Also, from December 30:
Could be just a mental case who cracked and fled, and this is a polite way of saying they knew he was troubled.
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I registered for their website but could not find any more details.
That is not exactly a restricted area. I agree that it is a wonderful spot to view the vulnerable spots within the Ship Channel refinery complex, but it's a public park.
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