Fed: Sydney refugee has links to bin Laden: report

AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2006
Fed: Sydney refugee has links to bin Laden: report

SYDNEY, April 8 AAP - A Syrian-born refugee living in Sydney's south-west is allegedly
connected to the international terrorism web of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Living for a decade in the suburb of Riverwood, Ahmad al-Hamwi has been accused of
being a senior al-Qaeda bagman linked to the 1993 World Trade Centre bomber, Ramzi Yousef,
The Australian says.

Also known by the alias Abu Omar, Mr al-Hamwi was given asylum in Australia in June 1996.

Mr al-Hamwi has allegedly admitted he was a confidant of some of Osama bin Laden's
closest lieutenants, and he is a relative by marriage to the world's most wanted man.

According to Philippines police documents obtained by The Australian, Mr al-Hamwi was
allegedly a key figure in the Manila-based Islamic charity called the International Research
and Information Centre (IRIC) that funded Yousef's terrorist cell which conspired to blow
up US airliners and assassinate Pope John Paul II.

Research by world-renowned terror expert Zachary Abuza alleges Mr al-Hamwi was an "important
money man for the cell".

"He was the hand-picked executive director of the IRIC which had little in the the
way of charitable works and I refuse to believe he did not know what was going on," Professor
Abuza told The Australian.

The newspaper said it put detailed questions to Mr al-Hamwi but he declined to respond.

AAP ag/lb

KEYWORD: ALHAMWI

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