Australia hunts for militant “Oz Qaeda” broadcaster

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http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2005/August/theworld_August334.xml§ion=theworld&col=

SYDNEY - The mother of a former Australian soldier who went missing shortly after converting to Islam denied on Thursday that her son was the gun-toting masked militant shown on an apparent Al Qaeda video broadcast earlier this week on an Arab television station.

The balaclava-clad man, who delivered his threats of further terrorist attacks on Western targets in an Australian accent, has been dubbed the “Oz Qaeda” broadcaster.

Vicki Stewart, who last saw her son Mathew Stewart in 2001 after he left the army, released a statement after being interviewed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in their Queensland home.

“The Stewart family said that they had been contacted by the federal police,” the statement read. “Mrs Stewart had been shown photos, and advised the federal police that it definitely was not Mathew. The family supports the work done by the federal police and is still grieving over Mathew who disappeared without a trace four years ago.”