Dutch officials conceded it wasn't usual for them to fly to other countries to interview asylum seekers. "But the Krekar case is also highly unusual," said Martin Bruinsma of the Dutch immigration service.
Krekar has said he fears the US will pressure Norway into sending him to Jordan. He'd rather go to the Netherlands, even though he probably would be imprisoned there while awaiting an asylum verdict.
Krekar was formally served with a deportation order earlier this week, with Norwegian officials basing the order on national security fears. They also claim he violated the terms of his earlier asylum in Norway by returning to Northern Iraq.
The Ansar al-Islam group that Krekar headed is alleged to comprise Muslim fundamentalists intent on imposing strict Islamic law in the Kurdish-controlled area. Its members have been accused of throwing acid in the faces of women who went without veils, of violence and murder.
Krekar has downplayed his group's activities and denied it has ties to either Iraqi president Saddam Hussein or terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
Norwegian publishing house Aschehoug confirmed to newspaper Aftenposten Friday that it has agreed to publish Krekar's story in a book due to come out by the end of the year.
Publisher Willian Nygaard of Aschehoug, who coincidentally was the target of an assassination attempt after his company put out Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" in Norwegian, said he thinks it's important to publish Krekar's version.
