Al Qaeda suspects arrested in France
Paris, 15 Dec. (AKI) - French anti-terror police on Thursday arrested three suspects they believe have "indirect" links to al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, The swoop, carried out in the northern Oise region, was similar to a series of raids on Monday that led to the arrests of 25 suspects, police spokeswoman Catherine Casteran was quoted as saying. She provided no further immediate details of Thursday's arrests.
French police on Monday announced they had broken up an alleged Islamist terrorism ring in the Paris area, arresting 20-30 people in a series of dawn raids on homes and Internet cafes ordered by French anti-terrorism magistrates, unnamed French sources close to the investigation said.
Police described Monday's events as a "major operation aimed at disbanding an Islamist network linked to terrorism, conducted as part of a probe by Jean-Louis Bruguiere, France' leading anti-terrorism investigating magistrate. Among those arrested were individuals linked to "previous terrorism probes and common crime," a police statement said. France's interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy this week described a "web" of links betwen the alleged network in France and other terror cells and groups, including that of al-Zarqawi.
France has been on red alert, the second highest security level, since the attacks on the London transport system when al-Qaeda linked suicide bombers killed more than 50 people on 7 July. Parliament is currently debating a new anti-terrorism bill that includes much greater use of CCTV cameras to monitor France's streets and public places, as well as the monitoring of mobile phones, email and Internet use. The bill also allows terror suspects to be detained by police for up to six days without charges, and tougher sentencing for terrorist crimes.
In late September, French police detained several terror suspects in the northern region of Normandy, who they say are close to the al-Qaeda linked Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). Police suspect the men of having planned the 1995-1996 terror attacks on France's public transport system that killed 12 people and wounded 301.
French police on Monday announced they had broken up an alleged Islamist terrorism ring in the Paris area, arresting 20-30 people in a series of dawn raids on homes and Internet cafes ordered by French anti-terrorism magistrates, unnamed French sources close to the investigation said.
Police described Monday's events as a "major operation aimed at disbanding an Islamist network linked to terrorism, conducted as part of a probe by Jean-Louis Bruguiere, France' leading anti-terrorism investigating magistrate. Among those arrested were individuals linked to "previous terrorism probes and common crime," a police statement said. France's interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy this week described a "web" of links betwen the alleged network in France and other terror cells and groups, including that of al-Zarqawi.
France has been on red alert, the second highest security level, since the attacks on the London transport system when al-Qaeda linked suicide bombers killed more than 50 people on 7 July. Parliament is currently debating a new anti-terrorism bill that includes much greater use of CCTV cameras to monitor France's streets and public places, as well as the monitoring of mobile phones, email and Internet use. The bill also allows terror suspects to be detained by police for up to six days without charges, and tougher sentencing for terrorist crimes.
In late September, French police detained several terror suspects in the northern region of Normandy, who they say are close to the al-Qaeda linked Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). Police suspect the men of having planned the 1995-1996 terror attacks on France's public transport system that killed 12 people and wounded 301.
posted by Marko at 12/15/2005 09:18:00 AM
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