Fed: Alleged terror suspect cleared by NSW police
SYDNEY, Aug 5 AAP - One of the two Australians being held by the US in Cuba's GuantanamoBay for alleged terrorist links was cleared by NSW police of being a violent threat tothe government.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported today Mamdouh Habib was assessed as posing no riskto government authorities just a month before he was detained in Pakistan.
The Herald also uncovered evidence that instead of being a suspected al-Qaeda sympathiser,Mr Habib fell out with a group of fellow Muslim worshippers at Sydney's Lakemba Mosqueover his alleged sympathy for the United States.
Mr Habib's wife, Maha, claimed her husband was harassed because he was suspected ofbeing a Central Intelligence Agency "agent".
Mr Habib's family denies he has any links to terrorist organisations, and claims hewas in Pakistan to prepare for his family's relocation there.
He has been held alongside other alleged al-Qaeda fighters captured in Afghanistanat Guantanamo Bay for almost two years, but is yet to be charged with any offence.
Mr Habib is an Egyptian citizen who arrived in Australia in 1982.
He became known to police as a "vexatious" complainant who actually appeared to drawattention to himself, the Herald reported.
His local member, East Hills Labor MP Alan Ashton, told the paper that he was informedon September 10, 2001, that there was "no information on hand to support ... concernsthat Mr Habib had a predisposition to carry out any act of violence towards any personsor government body".
In fact, his lawyer, Stephen Hopper, said Mr Habib was at odds with a group of worshippersat the mosque who came under scrutiny for alleged extremist sympathies.
The other Australian held in Cuba by US forces, David Hicks, is also yet to be chargedwith any offence after being captured in Afghanistan.
AAP pa/rs
KEYWORD: HABIB
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