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| Europe |
| French police make sweep of Qaeda network |
| 2007-12-20 |
| French domestic intelligence services (DST) have carried out a number of arrests in a suspected Qaeda network here that was suspected of having provided support to Algerian extremist groups, a newspaper reported Thursday. Conservative daily "Le Figaro" said in today's edition that after months of discreet surveillance and investigation, the DST had arrested eight men, seven Algerians and one French person. Unconfirmed reports said later that three of the men had been released after initial questioning. All eight were being questioned at the outset for their alleged role in providing logistical support to the "Qaeda Islamic Group in the Maghreb" which has been responsible for a number of deadly attacks recently, particularly a double bombing that killed more than 60 people in Algeria 10 days ago. The suspects are all in their early 30s, according to the newspaper, and the police are saying that it is one of the most important raids on "terrorist" networks this year in France. But police officials told "Le Figaro" that the raids were not directly related to the latest bombings in Algiers, noting that the investigation had reached the stage when it was "ripe." France is under threat from Algerian extremist groups because of its improving relations with the Algerian government and a view that it is moving closer to the position of the United States on policy in Iraq and in several areas of the Middle East. Qaeda leaders have called on their Algerian network to attack French targets and Qaeda number two, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, has vilified French foreign policy and its role in Afghanistan alongside the US and other Western forces. The "Vigipirate" anti-terrorist alert remains at Code Red here, the highest level possible and considerable security measures are in place around the country. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #3 Sounds like the Phrench are finaly getting a hint of a suspicion of a clue here. Ya think? |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-12-20 14:37 |
| #2 I hope my fears of the yoot 'hoods in France being fortified are completely wrong. (btw thanks ryuge for the clue-in on Thailand yesterday) |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2007-12-20 12:30 |
| #1 Meanwhile the religion of pieces continues to burn Paris. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-12-20 09:12 |