Police pounce on 'al-Qaeda cell' [But Press Leaks Hurt]

BBC NEWS ^ | 2003/11/28 | Unsigned

[aculeus]

Police in Italy and Germany have arrested three North Africans suspected of recruiting suicide bombers for attacks linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq.

"We have managed to break up a mujahideen recruiting centre," Italy's interior minister announced.

The ring's suspected leader, an Algerian known as "the Sheikh", was picked up in Hamburg early on Friday.

A Moroccan and a Tunisian were detained in Milan late on Thursday but two other suspects managed to elude capture.

The Italian authorities say the police sweep was jeopardised when news of the operation leaked to the media.

An Iraqi male suspect and a Tunisian female suspect remain at large and may have fled the country, the interior ministry said, confirming that five arrest warrants had been issued.

The arrests come just over two weeks after a suicide bombing killed 19 Italian soldiers and policemen in Nasiriya, southern Iraq.

'Allied to al-Qaeda'

Italian Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu said the alleged ring had been recruiting inside Italy.

"People were being approached in Italy and then being sent to training camps in north-eastern Iraq," he said.

"They were being given training by a group known as Ansar al-Islam... which is known to be allied to al-Qaeda."

One of the Italian intelligence services said it believed the suspected terror cell had already recruited Islamic militants who had committed suicide missions in Iraq.

The Algerian suspect, 30-year-old Mahjub Abderrazak, had previously been detained in Hamburg in July on suspicion of involvement with bomb attacks in Spain but was released due to lack of evidence. He now faces possible extradition to Italy.

Those arrested in Milan were identified by Italian officials as 20-year-old Housni Jamal from Morocco and 33-year-old Tunisian Bouyahia Maher Ben Abdelaziz.

Reports say that a sixth suspect, a Tunisian man, was arrested last Saturday for allegedly providing logistical support and papers to the other five.

Media leak

The BBC's Frances Kennedy in Rome says the Milan prosecutor's office has launched an inquiry into how news of the planned arrests was leaked before the police operation had even begun.

This is not the first time the Italian authorities have drawn a link between Islamic extremists in Italy and suicide attacks in Iraq.

In April, they said extremists were being approached in Italy and Germany and sent to training camps in Syria before joining a group connected with al-Qaeda in northern Iraq.

UK police are meanwhile questioning a man suspected of having al-Qaeda links, who was arrested at a house in Gloucester, western England, where explosive materials were found on Thursday.

The 24-year-old is being investigated for possible links with British man Richard Reid, who was convicted of trying to blow up a plane with explosives hidden in his shoes.

Police have searched a further two houses - both unoccupied - in Gloucester since the detention.

[aculeus]

The Italian authorities say the police sweep was jeopardised when news of the operation leaked to the media.

An Iraqi male suspect and a Tunisian female suspect remain at large and may have fled the country, the interior ministry said, confirming that five arrest warrants had been issued

[RandallFlagg]

Heh! And the Bush-haters really expected us to trust the press with knowledge of The President's visit to our troops??

Let 'em fester.

[Cicero]

The BBC's Frances Kennedy in Rome says the Milan prosecutor's office has launched an inquiry into how news of the planned arrests was leaked before the police operation had even begun.

Going by their past conduct and Arab-worship, the BBC are prime suspects.

[Defender2]

BBC = Bill's Bullsh*t Communists, CBS = Communists Bull Sh*t, NBC = Nothing But Communists, ABC = ALL Bullsh*t Communists, MSNBC = Matthews S*cks Nothing But Communists, CNBC = Communists, Nothing But Communists, CNN = Communists News Network, TBS = TASS Bullsh*t, PBS = Pravda Bullsh*t, Fairweather whichever way the the wind blows(including O'Reilly) FOX sometimes ROCKS, The MIGHTY MAJA RUSHIE, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity RULES the AIRWAVES and FREE REPUBLIC IS BY FAR THE BEST NEWS NETWORK!!!!:-)

[Mo1]

The Italian authorities say the police sweep was jeopardised when news of the operation leaked to the media.

Hey Media .. take a hint .. you are hurting the War on Terror

There is nothing wrong in reporting on a story ..

But how about you at least wait till the terrorists are caught

[Indie]

extremists were being approached in Italy and Germany and sent to training camps in Syria before joining a group connected with al-Qaeda in northern Iraq.

Why am I not surprised.

[EGPWS]

The Italian authorities say the police sweep was jeopardized when news of the operation leaked to the media.

I am totally shocked by this!!

When did the media start to leak information that could hinder authorities in the fight on terror just for self promotion?.../sarcasm

[StriperSniper]

Somebody pinch me(preferably a cute girl ;-), there is just too many things seeming to go right in the last 24 hours!

Check this out:

Iraqis rally against 'terrorism'

[2nd amendment mama]

In April, they said extremists were being approached in Italy and Germany and sent to training camps in Syria before joining a group connected with al-Qaeda in northern Iraq.

But...but...but...the liberal press and the scum sucking democraps keep telling us there's no link between Iraq and AlQueda..... </ sarcasm>

[FreedomCalls]

From a Washington Post story whining about not being told about Bush's trip to Baghdad:

Philip Taubman, Washington bureau chief of the New York Times, said that "in this day and age, there should have been a way to take more reporters. People are perfectly capable of maintaining a confidence for security reasons. It's a bad precedent."

From the above story:

An Iraqi male suspect and a Tunisian female suspect remain at large and may have fled the country... The Italian authorities say the police sweep was jeopardised when news of the operation leaked to the media.

[Darksheare]

I can just see the press leaking that Sledgehammer was on AF one on his way to Iraq, just so he'd end up dead.
They'd portray the press members aboard as martyrs and Sledgehammer as an arrogant lunatic who visited a war zone and got what he deserved.
They're angry because they didn't get to commit deniable murder.
Yes, they'd have been murdering some of their own, but the press is a cannibalistic narcissistic demonic creature that eats it's own and plays it off as heroic.
And the members of the press aboard AF one would have been called acceptable losses in secret while being portrayed as heroes.
THAT and the article are good reasons to NOT tell the press anything.

The press can go and inhale methane.

[grannie9]

Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!! ;)

[Darksheare]

I said something that made sense again?!

[grannie9]

Wellll.. only this once.. lol.

[Darksheare]

Yeah, I was wondering about that.
If I start making too much sense, send the guys with the tranq darts out for me, okay?

[Imal]

Terrorists in Italy?

"Inconceivable!"