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New Zealand to Expel Former Iraqi Official Allegedly Involved in Chemical Weapons Production
New Zealand has revoked the visa of a former Iraqi official believed to have been involved in the production of chemical weapons under Saddam Hussein’s regime during the 1980s, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, March 18). Amer Mahdi Al-Khashali had been in the country for more than a month. However, Wellington had been unaware that he had once served as agricultural and agrarian reform minister in Iraq, AP reported. In his former job, Al-Kashali “was responsible for chemical weaponry production … and wouldn’t that have been an indicator that this man should not be in this country,” said opposition lawmaker Winston Peters, who first publicly identified the one-time Iraqi official. New Zealand’s government ordered Al-Khashali to leave within two weeks. Al-Khashali will fight the visa cancellation, his attorney announced today. “We believe that the Immigration Service is working from incomplete or inaccurate information and has been directed to take these actions as a matter of political expediency,” said Simon Laurent. Laurent said yesterday that it was not safe for Al-Khashali to return to Iraq because of his work with the previous regime. “He could face very serious repercussions, either official or unofficial, from the Iraqi population,” said Laurent (Ray Lilley, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, May 5).
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