Prague, 19 Dec. (AKI) - A US extradition request for a Swedish man who is accused of financially supporting Islamic terrorism and of trying to set up a training camp for militants has been complicated by restrictions contained in a US-Czech extradition treaty. Police acting on an international warrant blocked Ousama Kassir - a Swede of Lebanese origin - when his Stockholm-Beirut flight made a stop-over in Prague last week.
Didn't figure his name was Swen
"Besides the Czech-U.S. extradition treaty of 1995 that is outdated, there exists the possibility of proceeding according to the international convention on suppression of terrorist bomb attacks of 1997," Czech deputy state attorney Jaroslav Fenyk told Czech radio on Monday.
He said that the 1997 treaty is binding on both the United States and the Czech Republic. But he said matters were complicated by the fact that this treaty relates to bomb attacks while the Americans accuse Kassir of a conspiracy aimed at financing terrorists. The United States also alleges that Kassir and his accomplices wanted to build a training camp for the Jihad holy war, at an estate in Oregon, United States. The trained militants were consequently to move to Afghanistan.
Kassir claims that the charges against him have been trumped up and that the United States wants to embarrass the Swedish and Czech governments. He claims that he had visited the United States as a tourist and that he had a valid visa. Kassir says he has never been to Oregon. He also said he has already been heard on the charges in Sweden and the Swedish police have released him. Kassir's Czech lawyer said he wants to contact his client's lawyer in Sweden as soon as possible to get acquainted with the verdict of the court that examined Kassir' s stay in the USA.
Kassir has accused Czech authorities of mistreating him during his detention by seizing his watch thus preventing him from following the prescribe Islamic prayer schedule and of deliberately trying to disorientate him in his prison cell so that he would not be able to face the Muslin holy city of Mecca when praying.
Sounds like abuse to me, better refer him to the UN
Posted by: Steve ||
12/19/2005 14:10 ||
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Sounds like the Swedish let him walk because they are "elinghtened" not because he isn't guilty as sin. I bet he has been traveling the world spreading jihad on the Swedish dole as a "holy man."
The French interior minister says that he has fought hard for the rights of the country's estimated five million Muslims and that recent riots had nothing to do with Islam. In an interview with Aljazeera on Sunday, Nicolas Sarkozy discussed the three weeks of rioting by disaffected youths in French cities in October. During the violence thousands of cars and public buildings were set ablaze and thousands of people were arrested.
He also defended France's newly approved anti-terror measures. Referring to Muslims in France who have long complained about discrimination and marginalisation in the country, Sarkozy said: "I am without doubt the one who has fought the most to recognise the rights that are owed to them. I insisted that Muslims pray in mosques instead of clandestine places, basements and garages, and that they have imams that speak French and are trained in France."
Asked about his use of the word "scum" to describe the rebellious youth in French ghettos, Sarkozy said that he did not normally use such language but that the grave situation at the time demanded firmness. "I do not normally use street language. I speak so that everyone would understand me. In the republic where I live, it is the thugs who must explain their actions and not the minister of interior."
Sarkozy spoke to Aljazeera while on a visit to Doha, Qatar. Before the riots in October, Sarkozy had been riding high in opinion polls and was seen as a strong contender to become the next French president in 2007. However, his controversial remarks sparked anger among Arab and Muslim immigrant communities in France with many civic leaders calling for his resignation.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/19/2005 13:52 ||
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his controversial remarks sparked anger among Arab and Muslim immigrant communities in France with many civic leaders calling for his resignation.
Which means he will probably be the next French President.
#3
The French interior minister says that he has fought hard for the rights of the country's estimated five million Muslims and that recent riots had nothing to do with Islam.
Is Kool-Aid the new French national drink? No way can wine make you this stupid.
In a few weeks, demolition crews will descend on a grand monstrosity that has sat empty in the German capital for 15 years: the Palace of the Republic, former home of the East German parliament and one of the few Communist relics left in the city.
The palace's destruction is eagerly awaited by many Berliners who view the rust-colored structure as a shameful eyesore. And it won't be the first time that Germans have used the wrecking ball to rewrite history on this swampy plot of land in the heart of Berlin.
In 1950, East German Communists blew up another palace that stood on the site for 500 years: the Berliner Schloss, a baroque castle on the Spree River and an architectural showpiece of the historic German capital.
Officially, the castle was razed because of damage incurred at the end of World War II. But that was largely a pretext to get rid of the castle for ideological reasons; the Communists derided it as a symbol of Prussian imperialism.
Today, the Communists are the ones who stand ideologically disgraced, while memories of Prussian times are growing fonder: The present German government has given approval to plans to replace the East German parliament not with a modern addition to the city skyline but an $800 million replica of the long-gone Berliner Schloss.
Officially, German lawmakers and bureaucrats condemned the Palace of the Republic, created by dictator Erich Honecker, because it was infested with asbestos. But like the Communists half a century ago, many are driven by an ideological aversion. "In the West," said Uwe Hacker, a German government official in charge of the demolition, "they think of it as evil, as a home for Honecker and his parliament."
The campaign to rebuild the castle is emblematic of how many Germans want to celebrate honorable chapters in their nation's troubled history. While not discounting the 20th century horrors of World War I, the Third Reich or the Cold War, these people say they'd like to recall parts of their past without feeling guilty.
Since the Berlin Wall came down, that sentiment has helped restore the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag parliament building
and the 19th century neo-classicist museums in the city center. But some Germans wonder whether the zeal to erase all remnants of the Communist era is tantamount to pretending it never happened.
"You can't wipe out history just by tearing down a building," said Lothar de Maiziere, the first and last democratically elected leader of East Germany, who presided over the final legislative moments of the palace in 1990. "The people who want to rebuild the castle see it as a way to reverse what happened in 1950 and go back to Prussian history."
The decision to tear down the Communist palace has stirred a protest movement among citizens of the former East Germany who feel shortchanged by the promises of reunification 15 years ago. Disillusioned by unemployment rates that remain twice as high in the eastern states, they have become sensitive to efforts to rub out East German symbols. On a recent weekend, about 500 people demonstrated outside the vacant Palace of the Republic, demanding a last-minute reprieve for the decrepit building. "They can't tear it down. They can't take it away," said Lieseotte Schulz, 74, a retired postal worker and resident of East Berlin. "It's one of the only things we have left!"
"It is a cultural memorial, and it should be preserved," added Marie Luise Musiol, a 19-year-old college student. "It is a historical symbol in Berlin, and in general for Germany. This idea with the castle is crazy, and it's a senseless waste of money."
But easterners are a distinct minority in Berlin, as well as in Germany as a whole... A picture of the Berliner Schloss: http://www.berliner-schloss.de/start.php?navID=191
At least 11 alleged Islamist radicals were being held by Police after a series of sweeps around Paris that authorities claim reveal new links to al-Qaeda's terror master in Iraq, Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi. "These people were in direct contact with a Zarqawi group intermediary," claims a French counterterrorism official.
Though unable to reveal the specifics of those communications without endangering ongoing investigations, the official called the direct links to al-Zarqawi's group "a new twist we regard as extremely troubling." Police said some of those arrested had launched a spree of armed robberies to finance the network's underground work; a raid of the group's suspected arms cache turned up explosives, a dozen detonators, pistols and assault rifles.
"We hadn't seen Islamists using such brazen crime to finance the cause since the mid-1990s," the counterterrorism official says. "This return to early methods may mean this group wanted to move ahead far faster with an attack than we normally see now."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/19/2005 10:32 ||
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There are important developments and movements in the region, so Turkeyâs exchange of information with the CIA comes from this and is normal, said government spokesman Cemil Cicek on Monday about CIA Director Porter Gossâ recent visit to Turkey, adding that Turkey has expectations from US about the terrorist PKK. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Cicek said that Gossâ visit had not been discussed by the government ministers. Cicek indicated that intelligence organizations from other countries meet from time to time, adding, âThis wasnât the first time a CIA director has visited Turkey.â Cicek stated, âAt many meetings that I took part in, especially on the fight against terrorism, the issue that many countries emphasize is that sharing intelligence on terrorist groups is the first step. This issue has priority. Therefore, Turkey shares information on intelligence with the US as well as other countries. This is natural.â
During his recent visit to Ankara, CIA Director Porter Goss reportedly brought three dossiers on Iran to Ankara. Goss is said to have asked for Turkeyâs support for Washingtonâs policy against Iranâs nuclear activities, charging that Tehran had supported terrorism and taken part in activities against Turkey. Goss also asked Ankara to be ready for a possible US air operation against Iran and Syria. Goss, who came to Ankara just after FBI Director Robert Muellerâs visit, brought up Iranâs alleged attempts to develop nuclear weapons. It was said that Goss first told Ankara that Iran has nuclear weapons and this situation was creating a huge threat for both Turkey and other states in the region. Diplomatic sources say that Washington wants Turkey to coordinate with its Iran policies. The second dossier is about Iranâs stance on terrorism. The CIA argued that Iran was supporting terrorism, the PKK and al-Qaeda. The third had to do with Iranâs alleged stance against Ankara. Goss said that Tehran sees Turkey as an enemy and would try to âexport its regime.â
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/19/2005 10:15 ||
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Spanish police arrested 15 people Monday on suspicion of recruiting and indoctrinating fighters for Iraq's insurgency, officials said.
The cell was in close contact with al-Qaeda members in Iraq and had two people ready to be sent there to wage "holy war," Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso told a news conference.
The arrests stemmed from a probe that began in January and the cell sent "several" people to fight in Iraq, the minister said without giving a precise figure.
More than 100 police officers staged raids that led to the arrests in the regions of Catalonia and Andalusia as well as in Spain's Balaeric Islands, he said.
Police agents specializing in Islamic terrorism, explosives or scientific investigation made the arrests in the cities of Lerida, Malaga, Nerja, Seville and Palma on the island of Mallorca.
Alonso did not give the nationality of the suspects, although the news agency Efe said they included Moroccans, Ethiopians, a person from Ghana and one Spaniard.
Monday's arrests marked the fourth time in less than a month that Spanish police have arrested people suspected of Islamic extremist activities.
In a series of arrests beginning in late November, 19 people were arrested on suspicion of belonging to or collaborating with the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, an Algerian-based extremist group that has declared allegiance to al-Qaeda.
Seven were jailed on preliminary charges of belonging to a terror cell, one still has to go before a judge and the others were released.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/19/2005 10:11 ||
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Al-Queada Recruiters? Muzzies prefer to call them "imams".
Posted by: Mark Z. ||
12/19/2005 12:31 Comments ||
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Yep, they ply their trade with gifts of cheap watches.
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So, will they be tried in Spain? What is their maximum possible sentence if found guilty? No ice cream for a year? Three years of community service? Or---shudder-a year in jail? Inquiring minds want to know....
Spanish police have arrested 14 people suspected of being members of an Islamist extremist group, with links to al-Qaeda. The arrests were made in the southern towns of Malaga, Nerja and Seville. Spanish police say they also detained a number of suspects in north-eastern Lleida and on the Balearic Islands. They believe the suspects are members of the same group, dedicated to the indoctrination and recruitment of militants to send to Iraq.
Too holy to go fight themselves, don't ya know
The nationality of the 14 suspects is not yet known, but sources close to the police investigation say many of them have lived in Spain for a long time. They are not believed to have been planning to carry out any attacks themselves. The Spanish authorities say the police operation is continuing and more arrests are possible. This is the third round of mass detentions linked to suspected Islamic extremist activity in Spain in under a month.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/19/2005 09:45 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The French interior minister says that he has fought hard for the rights of the country's estimated five million Muslims and that recent riots had nothing to do with Islam. In an interview with Aljazeera on Sunday, Nicolas Sarkozy discussed the three weeks of rioting by disaffected youths in French cities in October. During the violence thousands of cars and public buildings were set ablaze and thousands of people were arrested.
