Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali
Encyclopedia
Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali (born 1978) is a Saudi Arabian student pilot who was deported
from New Zealand
in 2006 for having links with at least one of the September 11, 2001 attacks
hijackers. Ali entered New Zealand in February 2006 on a student visa, saying his dream was to become a commercial airline pilot and that he needed an English language qualification to assist. He then moved to Auckland
to learn English and then moved to Palmerston North
to fly at the Manawatu Aero Club. He told the Palmerston North flight school that he had obtained his private pilot's certificate
in the United States
and spent several years there before returning to Saudi Arabia
to work in his father's textile business. He wanted to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam so he could return home to train for his commercial pilot's license.
On May 29, 2006, New Zealand authorities
raided Ali's Palmerston North home, and on May 30 he was deported back to Saudi Arabia under escort. On June 10, 2006 the New Zealand government released a statement saying that Ali was deported because he "posed a threat to national security" and confirmed that he had lived and trained in Phoenix, Arizona
, with fellow Saudi Hani Hanjour
in the months leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
It was only the second time that section 72 of the New Zealand Immigration Act has been used to deport someone. Its use requires the consent of the Governor-General, and there is no right of appeal. It was used for the deportation of Soviet spy Anvar Kadyrov, a former KGB
operative who was apprehended by New Zealand authorities in 1991 while attempting to obtain a New Zealand passport using a copy of a birth certificate of a deceased. Section 72 provides that where the Immigration Minister certifies that the continued presence in New Zealand of a person constitutes a threat to national security, the Governor-General may, by order in council, order that person's deportation.
New Zealand Police
seized Ali's flight logbook from the flight school, where he had flown several times in a Cessna
aircraft accompanied by the flight school instructors. Immigration authorities also stated that Ali used a variation of his name when entering the country. In 2004, the Arizona Daily Star
reported him as Rayed Mohammed Abdullah.
New Zealand Immigration Minister David Cunliffe
said that Ali "was directly associated with persons responsible for the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001" He also quoted excerpts from the U.S.
government's 9/11 Commission Report
on the attacks regarding Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali. The report says Ali lived and trained in Phoenix, Arizona with Hani Hanjour
, the Saudi Arabian believed to have piloted Flight 77
into the Pentagon
, on September 11, 2001. Abdullah was a leader at the Islamic Cultural Centre
in Phoenix where, the FBI says, he "reportedly gave extremist speeches at the mosque". Immigration Minister David Cunliffe also said that he could not comment on what happened after Ali returned to Saudi Arabia nor could he comment on what information he had on him or where it came from. "We're satisfied he is the right man."
The 9/11 Commission Report also says Abdullah attended the same Phoenix flight school as Hanjour and records show the pair used a flight simulator together on June 23, 2001.
Flight instructions at the Manawatu Aero Club say Ali wore a baseball cap, smart shirts and baggy trousers and favoured burgers and fries over halal
food. One of the instructors, Captain Singh, a former Indian Air Force
officer trained in intelligence
, who accompanied Ali on several flights in a Cessna 152
aircraft, says Ali had a Yemen
i passport and he was naturally suspicious at first. "At the time of September 11 he would have been in the US. I asked him some very direct questions about his US flying experience and found he was quite intelligent and a moderate person. He was not at all fundamentalist - he was against those people." "I found his standard to be very good", "He wanted to fly in Saudi Arabia or the [Arab] Emirates and was doing instrument training in the US before September 11 but said that since then everyone had treated him suspiciously. I'm 99 per cent sure he was genuine."
Ali told Captain Singh he was born and raised in Saudi Arabia but traveled on a Yemeni passport because his father was from Yemen and Saudi Arabia had refused to give him citizenship. When he returned to Palmerston North, he told Captain Singh he had missed an application deadline and been unable to sit the IELTS
exam in Auckland
. He planned to re-apply in Palmerston North for the IELTS course, where it was cheaper to fly than in Auckland.
On July 13, 2006, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported that New Zealand's security agencies discovered the identity of Rayed Mohammad Abdullah Ali after a tip off from Ardmore Flying School, which is located approximately 20 kilometres south of Auckland City
.
The New Zealand Herald reported: "A month later, on April 12, Ali visited Ardmore Flying School and attempted to enrol in a flying course - an action which school general manager Craig Hunter believes may have been the beginning of the end of Ali's time in New Zealand. The school would not let Ali fly as he did not want to follow rules established to protect overseas student." "He was not the least bit interested in complying with the rules, in terms of we would have made him pay a third of his total fee and he would have been granted an eight-month visa and we would have made him reapply for a student visa with the Ardmore Flying School as his training provider", the Herald reported.
Prime Minister Helen Clark
defended on her government's decision to deport Ali ""When you have someone who clearly has been a close associate of a terrorist who took a plane into the Pentagon, it's clearly not useful to be providing them with pilot training in New Zealand".
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 2006 for having links with at least one of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
hijackers. Ali entered New Zealand in February 2006 on a student visa, saying his dream was to become a commercial airline pilot and that he needed an English language qualification to assist. He then moved to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
to learn English and then moved to Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
to fly at the Manawatu Aero Club. He told the Palmerston North flight school that he had obtained his private pilot's certificate
Private Pilot License
A Private Pilot License or, in the United States of America, a Private Pilot Certificate, is a license that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft privately . The requirements to obtain the license are determined by the International Civil Aviation Authority , but the actual...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and spent several years there before returning to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
to work in his father's textile business. He wanted to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam so he could return home to train for his commercial pilot's license.
On May 29, 2006, New Zealand authorities
New Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...
raided Ali's Palmerston North home, and on May 30 he was deported back to Saudi Arabia under escort. On June 10, 2006 the New Zealand government released a statement saying that Ali was deported because he "posed a threat to national security" and confirmed that he had lived and trained in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, with fellow Saudi Hani Hanjour
Hani Hanjour
Hani Saleh Hasan Hanjour was the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, crashing the plane into the Pentagon as part of the September 11 attacks....
in the months leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
It was only the second time that section 72 of the New Zealand Immigration Act has been used to deport someone. Its use requires the consent of the Governor-General, and there is no right of appeal. It was used for the deportation of Soviet spy Anvar Kadyrov, a former KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
operative who was apprehended by New Zealand authorities in 1991 while attempting to obtain a New Zealand passport using a copy of a birth certificate of a deceased. Section 72 provides that where the Immigration Minister certifies that the continued presence in New Zealand of a person constitutes a threat to national security, the Governor-General may, by order in council, order that person's deportation.
New Zealand Police
New Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...
seized Ali's flight logbook from the flight school, where he had flown several times in a Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
aircraft accompanied by the flight school instructors. Immigration authorities also stated that Ali used a variation of his name when entering the country. In 2004, the Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Daily Star
The Arizona Daily Star is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. The paper was purchased by Pulitzer in 1971; Lee Enterprises bought Pulitzer in 2005....
reported him as Rayed Mohammed Abdullah.
New Zealand Immigration Minister David Cunliffe
David Cunliffe
David Richard Cunliffe is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party, and the sitting member of parliament for New Lynn, West Auckland. He served as the Minister of Health and Minister for Communications and Information Technology for the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand...
said that Ali "was directly associated with persons responsible for the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001" He also quoted excerpts from the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government's 9/11 Commission Report
9/11 Commission Report
The 9/11 Commission Report, formally named Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, is the official report of the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks...
on the attacks regarding Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali. The report says Ali lived and trained in Phoenix, Arizona with Hani Hanjour
Hani Hanjour
Hani Saleh Hasan Hanjour was the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, crashing the plane into the Pentagon as part of the September 11 attacks....
, the Saudi Arabian believed to have piloted Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Washington Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California...
into the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, on September 11, 2001. Abdullah was a leader at the Islamic Cultural Centre
Islamic Cultural Centre
The Islamic Cultural Centre is a centre for Muslims located in London, England, opened in 1944. It is part of the London Central Mosque, having been annexed...
in Phoenix where, the FBI says, he "reportedly gave extremist speeches at the mosque". Immigration Minister David Cunliffe also said that he could not comment on what happened after Ali returned to Saudi Arabia nor could he comment on what information he had on him or where it came from. "We're satisfied he is the right man."
The 9/11 Commission Report also says Abdullah attended the same Phoenix flight school as Hanjour and records show the pair used a flight simulator together on June 23, 2001.
Flight instructions at the Manawatu Aero Club say Ali wore a baseball cap, smart shirts and baggy trousers and favoured burgers and fries over halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
food. One of the instructors, Captain Singh, a former Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
officer trained in intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
, who accompanied Ali on several flights in a Cessna 152
Cessna 152
The Cessna 152 is an American two-seat, fixed tricycle gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use.-Development:...
aircraft, says Ali had a Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i passport and he was naturally suspicious at first. "At the time of September 11 he would have been in the US. I asked him some very direct questions about his US flying experience and found he was quite intelligent and a moderate person. He was not at all fundamentalist - he was against those people." "I found his standard to be very good", "He wanted to fly in Saudi Arabia or the [Arab] Emirates and was doing instrument training in the US before September 11 but said that since then everyone had treated him suspiciously. I'm 99 per cent sure he was genuine."
Ali told Captain Singh he was born and raised in Saudi Arabia but traveled on a Yemeni passport because his father was from Yemen and Saudi Arabia had refused to give him citizenship. When he returned to Palmerston North, he told Captain Singh he had missed an application deadline and been unable to sit the IELTS
IELTS
IELTS , or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd, and was established in 1989.There are two versions of...
exam in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. He planned to re-apply in Palmerston North for the IELTS course, where it was cheaper to fly than in Auckland.
On July 13, 2006, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported that New Zealand's security agencies discovered the identity of Rayed Mohammad Abdullah Ali after a tip off from Ardmore Flying School, which is located approximately 20 kilometres south of Auckland City
Auckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
.
The New Zealand Herald reported: "A month later, on April 12, Ali visited Ardmore Flying School and attempted to enrol in a flying course - an action which school general manager Craig Hunter believes may have been the beginning of the end of Ali's time in New Zealand. The school would not let Ali fly as he did not want to follow rules established to protect overseas student." "He was not the least bit interested in complying with the rules, in terms of we would have made him pay a third of his total fee and he would have been granted an eight-month visa and we would have made him reapply for a student visa with the Ardmore Flying School as his training provider", the Herald reported.
Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
defended on her government's decision to deport Ali ""When you have someone who clearly has been a close associate of a terrorist who took a plane into the Pentagon, it's clearly not useful to be providing them with pilot training in New Zealand".
External links
- NZ deports '9/11 linked man' CNN.com, June 10, 2006;
- New Zealand: Sept. 11 Attacker's Roommate Sneaked Into Our Country FoxNews.com, June 12, 2006
- New 9/11-Style Plot In The Works? CBSNews.com, July 27, 2006