JERUSALEM -- Israel detained an American doctor for two weeks on suspicion he was linked to Al Qaeda, before releasing him and deporting him to Jordan. The U.S. Embassy said its representatives were barred from seeing him during the detention and that there was no evidence linking him to any terror group.

Dr. Khaled Nazem Diab, 34, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was born in Syria, according to a sworn statement in a lawsuit in Chicago. Diab worked as medical relief coordinator for Bridgeview, Ill.-based Global Relief Foundation for about 18 months until last December, when the charity´s assets were frozen by the U.S. government because of suspected links to Al Qaeda.

Diab arrived in Israel Nov. 14 to train Palestinian social workers. He was deported Nov. 26.

Shortly before the Bridgeview charity´s assets were frozen, Diab was detained after illegally crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan. Diab has said that his dealings with the Taliban were humanitarian and that he had notified U.S. officials in Istanbul in advance. (Copyright © 2002, Chicago Tribune 12/05/02)