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125 al-Qaeda busted in Gulf dhows
 Fourteen dhows intercepted in Gulf waters since January carried 125 suspected Al-Qaeda members who have been detained by US or other authorities, a counter-terrorism expert in the region said Monday. The traditional wooden boats "are being used here in the Gulf by Al-Qaeda on a daily basis," Bob Newman, director of international security and counter-terrorism services with GeoScope Group, said on the sidelines of an Airport, Port and Terminal Security (APTS) Middle East conference in Dubai. "So far this year, 14 dhows have been intercepted in the Gulf region. Many more have been stopped," said Newman, whose Colorado-based organization provides teams to help track down terror suspects at the planning stage.Their 125 crew members, who he said had all admitted to being "members" of Al-Qaeda, were either sent to the United States "or to countries they were coming from or going to". The dhows were being used to move personnel, weapons and money, he said. Maritime authorities are "also finding a lot more drugs. Al-Qaeda are financing weapons and logistics via opium", because the United States has "seized their money" since the September 11, 2001 attacks, he said. Amid the threat from Al-Qaeda to Gulf countries, "governments in the region are cooperating heavily with each other," Newman told reporters. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-03-15 |
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