Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand said this week it had deported a man who had close contacts with 9/11 hijackers. Rayed Mohammed Abdullah, a Yemeni, was on international watch lists because he had roomed with one of the terrorists who flew a plane into the Pentagon. He apparently got past New Zealand immigration officials by adding “Ali” to the end of his name. Officials caught him during a check of people taking flight training, and he has been deported to Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Helen Clark said that the deportation was justified, even though the man was accused of no crime. “Personally I consider it a no-brainer,” she said. “Someone who has been a roommate of a 9/11 terrorist and is having pilot training is here for no particularly good purpose.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
-
American universities are losing ground to their foreign counterpartsThe Explainer While Harvard is still near the top, other colleges have slipped
-
How to navigate dating apps to find ‘the one’The Week Recommends Put an end to endless swiping and make real romantic connections
