Loendal said the question of expelling Krekar from the country was a matter for the Department of Local and Regional Government.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Erna Solberg said that mullah Krekar had made a flagrant breach of Norwegian refugee law. A refugee passport does not give the bearer the right to return to the land from which they fled.
The minister spoke after seeing a documentary by Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) which presented circumstantial evidence that Krekar has used his status in Norway to help fight in the civil wars in Kurdistan, North Iraq.
"Let me make clear that if this evidence stands up it is a violation of Norwegian law. Norway does not give protection to those who wish to conduct a civil war at home while residing on Norwegian soil. But this program shows that it is fully possible to do so while living on social support," Solberg said.
"Mullah Krekar came here as a quota refugee, a type of refugee which everyone agrees Norway must accept. What this case demonstrates is the necessity of watching closely. It means, in other words, that Norway must have a security agency capable of monitoring this type of activity and drawing conclusions best suited to Norwegian interests," Solberg said.
Solberg pointed out that mullah Krekar had had a citizenship application refused. She also blasted the Progress Party's noisy demands for an investigation of how Krekar's status had been handled.
"Consideration for Norwegian security demands that politicians remain cool and not just cry for investigations. A party like the Progress Party, which is a supporter of a strong Norwegian security service should realize that," Solberg scolded.
Solberg wanted to reassure citizens that Norway is not a haven for terrorists. "I would say to them that there is no foundation for claiming that Norwegian authorities did not know about mullah Krekar. In the fight against terror it is important not just to react. One must react correctly," Solberg said.
