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Insists he fled Algeria fearing arrest, not to join mujahedeen

Accused terror “sleeper agent” Mohamed Harkat refuted allegations from government lawyers that he fabricated testimony to cover up his participation in a jihad during the first full day of cross examination Wednesday.

David Tyndale, lead counsel for Citizenship and Immigration, which is seeking to deport Harkat to his native Algeria, repeatedly suggested to Harkat that the sworn account of his flight from Algeria through Saudi Arabia into Pakistan was “incredibly unlikely” and “implausible.”

During testimony on Monday, court heard that Harkat, fearing arrest based on his association with the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) political party in Algeria, dropped out of university, went into hiding and fled the country in 1990.

According to Harkat, he left the country with his entire $250 US savings in his pocket and the telephone numbers of Saudi contacts provided by a fellow student with ties to FIS.

“The only thing I start thinking about is to get out of my country,” Harkat testified.

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