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Canberra `grateful` : The Hindu
The Australian Foreign Minister, Mr. Alexander Downer, said today that Canberra was `grateful` for the arrest by Indian authorities of the terrorist said to have plotted strikes in India, Australia and the United Kingdom.
The Australian Foreign Minister, Mr. Alexander Downer, said today that Canberra was `grateful' for the arrest by Indian authorities of the terrorist said to have plotted strikes in India, Australia and the United Kingdom.
``I don't think this is a hoax or should be treated as a hoax,'' Mr. Downer told an Australian broadcasting network.
According to Mr. Downer, ``He (the arrested man) had done pilot training apparently in Australia and in Britain so presumably the kind of suicide attack he was contemplating was using aircraft.'' Separately, the Australian Attorney-General, Mr. Daryl Williams, said the arrested man, whom he chose not to identify, had trained as a pilot in Australia in 1997-1998.
``He claims that he undertook that (pilot) training for terrorist purposes....however we haven't been able to confirm the veracity of that claim,'' he stated. ``Can I say that we are not aware of any specific threat in relation to this man or any other person for that matter in Australia,'' he maintained. Bureau Report
According to Mr. Downer, ``He (the arrested man) had done pilot training apparently in Australia and in Britain so presumably the kind of suicide attack he was contemplating was using aircraft.'' Separately, the Australian Attorney-General, Mr. Daryl Williams, said the arrested man, whom he chose not to identify, had trained as a pilot in Australia in 1997-1998.
``He claims that he undertook that (pilot) training for terrorist purposes....however we haven't been able to confirm the veracity of that claim,'' he stated. ``Can I say that we are not aware of any specific threat in relation to this man or any other person for that matter in Australia,'' he maintained. Bureau Report