Lebanon has arrested nine people plotting an attack on the US Embassy and kidnappings to try to force the release of Islamic militant prisoners, bringing to 39 the number of people detained so far in connection with plots to launch terrorist attacks, judicial and military intelligence officials said Thursday. The Lebanese Army said it had detained members of a cell planning âsabotage and attacks on various targets, the most important being the embassy of a major Western state, security and military outposts and kidnappings of officialsâ to bargain for the detaineesâ release.
| This adds a lot of detail to yesterday's article, and makes it more credible... |
The army statement, which said the arrests were made with the help of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon, did not identify the embassy or the people allegedly targeted for abduction, but judicial and military intelligence sources said the heavily fortified US Embassy compound in Beirut was the target.
| Surprised, huh? Who'da thunkit? |
They said the military targets were Lebanese and Syrian installations in the country, and that the alleged plotters had also planned to kidnap Lebanese officials to free men jailed over an Islamist uprising in northern Lebanon in 2000. âThey had not got as far as picking names, but it seems they were considering a minister,â said one intelligence official, who said the detainees included at least two Palestinians.
âThe arrests started on Monday last week and most detainees were active in the North,â another intelligence official told The Daily Star. âArrests in connection with the bomb attack on the McDonaldâs restaurant last month led to the new arrests. "Syrian intelligence in Lebanon, led by Brigadier Rustom Ghazaleh, followed a weak lead a month ago. But the lead proved to be credible. It led to the first batch of arrests last month. Then the new arrests started 10 days ago and were announced Thursday,â he added. A judicial source said at least three people were arrested Thursday: âThey are Nasser Omar, Jalal Midlej and Jihad Midlej,â he said, adding that the last two are related. âThese three are believed to be involved in the McDonaldâs attack only, although they have links with the other suspects. The links between the three and the others are still being investigated and may lead to further arrests.â
"LeGume!"
"Yes, Inspector?"
"Round up the usual suspects!"
"Yessir! Anybody named 'Jihad'..." |
State Prosecutor Adnan Addoum confirmed the arrests in a phone call with The Daily Star. He said the main suspects were Khaled Mohammed al-Ali and Loqman Kaaki, who had been deported by Saudi Arabia at Lebanonâs request. Some Lebanese security officials have spoken of possible links between Islamists with whom they clashed near Dinnieh in the North on New Yearâs Eve, 1999, and Al-Qaeda. The area has been a center of Sunni Muslim militancy since the civil war. |