1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: A terrorism charge has been filed against bumbling g hardy 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: Mark Taylor in the Wellington District Court. You'll remember Mark. 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: He's the key we who went to Syria, remember this, 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: to for the Islamic State, only to accidentally give away 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: some ISIS fighters location on Twitter and he got himself 6 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: locked up. When we last heard from him in twenty nineteen, 7 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: Mark was imprisoned by Curtis fighters in northern Syria. John 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: Battersby is the Massi University Center for Defense and Security Studies. 9 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: Is with me this evening, John, Good evening. 10 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 2: Hello Ryan, how are you? 11 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: I'm well? Thank you. Why are the charges being laid now? 12 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: Do you think just reading the media release or the 13 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 2: media comments by the police, it does seem to be 14 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 2: that the Under Office is given approval to an application 15 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 2: that must have been made some time ago for those 16 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 2: charges to be laid. So it could be possibly a 17 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 2: little bit coincidental. There is a chance that changes in 18 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: Syria that will be made aware of has hurried the 19 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 2: system along a little bit, and the few people have 20 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 2: got worried that maybe he could end up being released 21 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 2: and start knocking on some duels to come back. So 22 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: it would be prudent to have these charges in place 23 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 2: just in case that very unlikely event actually does occur. 24 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: Our governments, not just ours, but others around the world 25 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: worried about now that Bashar Alissade's regime has fallen. Are 26 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: governments worried about fighters coming home? 27 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 2: Oh? I think governments around the world have been worried 28 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 2: for quite some time about fighters coming home. That that 29 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 2: concern has been alleviated over time as fewer and fewer 30 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 2: have come back. But I think given the changes in 31 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 2: Syria at the moment, which have really come out of nowhere, 32 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 2: it would seem and it's probably called almost everybody unaware, 33 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: and everybody's probably reassessing at the moment the possible consequences, 34 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: the sort of the unthened sideline colesteral kind of consequences 35 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: that might occur as a result of this. 36 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: What's Yes, you've been charged with charges relate to the 37 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: alleged participation in the Islamic state in Iraq to enhance 38 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: their ability to carry out or participate in terrorist acts 39 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: in one or more countries. That must be a pretty 40 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: raird charge. 41 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's never been laid with anyone else, So yes, 42 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 2: it is, And so it's a charge of a New 43 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 2: Zealander heading over breaking New Zealand law in terms of 44 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 2: participating in a terrorist organization overseas. So that's that's the 45 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 2: simple basis of the charge. 46 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: He is a New Zealand citizen. Should the New Zealand 47 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: government be actively looking for him so that we can, 48 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: you know, make him face up to this charge? 49 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 2: I think probably if we were, if we're speaking strictly, 50 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 2: he is our problem, and we should probably go and 51 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 2: get him and bring him back and build them instead 52 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: of leaving it for the Syrians or the CODs or 53 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 2: who has got them to live with them. The problem, 54 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 2: I suppose is he's torn up his own travel documents. 55 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: Even if he hadn't, they would have expired by now. 56 00:02:54,639 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: We have no representation in Syria. So the possibility of 57 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: us being connected back Williams is actually pretty remote. And 58 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 2: I would say there is a pretty dangerous place at 59 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: the moment, or an unsusing place for us to go 60 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: specifically looking for him. So I don't think anybody. I 61 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 2: don't motivation can be terribly high in anybody's book at 62 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: the moment to actually go looking for him. 63 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: No, I wouldn't think so either, John. Thank you very 64 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: much for that John Baddisbee massive University Center for Defense 65 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: and Security Studies. He's either dead land locked, essentially, or 66 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: he's going to get to Turkey, where our diplomatic presence 67 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: is to get a passport. 68 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to 69 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 2: news talks. 70 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 71 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.