Hmmmmm. I wonder if it would hurt North African Muslims' feelings if they were profiled, because, as of yet, I have yet to hear about any arrests of blond haired, blue-eyed American women over the age of 50 to have done anything related to terrorist attacks. I guess that's just coincidental.
MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Eight men were arrested for allegedly supplying fake passports and documents to members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, Milan anti-terrorism police said on Friday.
A ninth suspect eluded capture and is being sought, said Massimo Mazza, head of Milan's anti-terrorist squad.
The arrests occurred on Thursday night in the Milan area, a police statement said. Police seized false passports, stolen identity cards and blank documents that could be used to issue papers giving foreigners permission to live in Italy.
Police said the suspects -- six Moroccans, a Tunisian and a Romanian -- were part of "vast trafficking in false documents." All were accused of criminal association and counterfeiting documents.
Two Moroccan brothers -- Mohammed Kazdari, 37, and his 32-year-old brother, Said -- allegedly supplied documents to Essid Sami Ben Khemais, thought to have been bin Laden's European logistics chief, Mazza said.
The brothers, who were released from prison last August after serving time for dealing in false documents, were described as the operation's ringleaders.
"There were sure links between the Kazdari brothers and Ben Khemais," Mazza said. "But at the moment we can't confirm which documents were given to Ben Khemais and used by Ben Khemais."
Ben Khemais, also known as "the saber," was convicted earlier this year in Milan of criminal association with the intent to obtain and transport arms, explosives and chemicals.
U.S. authorities have called Milan an important logistical base for al-Qaida and described a mosque and Islamic Cultural Center here as the main al-Qaida station house in Europe.
Mazza said that no U.S. documents were found in the raids Thursday and that those seized were for use in European and North African countries. "For now, there is no confirmation" the documents were used to organize the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, he said.
The eight captured were identified as the Kazdari brothers, Mohamed "Hamid" Ouad, 35, Mustapha Ouad, 28, Abdelali "Ali" Kisra, about 33; and Abdellah "Abdul" Grich, 28 -- all from Morocco -- as well as Rafik Ben Salem Touati, 32, of Tunisia, and Ioan Benone Danci, 34, of Romania.
Police declined to identify or give the nationality of the fugitive.
In Venice, security was stepped up in the old Jewish neighbourhood, with police boats checking for explosives in canals and police officers guarding entrances to the narrow alleys leading into the district.
Italian police have not elaborated on what prompted the measures, but security was stepped up in Venice earlier this year after the tourist destination was named a possible terrorist target.