Free Republic

On 9 November, a 38-year old Belgian named Muriel, blew herself to pieces in Baghdad near a group of Iraqi policemen, killing five other people. The woman had converted to Islam after marrying a Belgian of Moroccon origin. Her husband was shot down by American troops. The American authorities informed the Belgian authorities of the woman’s identity a few weeks ago, but Brussels kept it secret. Yesterday evening the Franco-Luxemburgian network RTL announced the news. Last night, the Belgian police arrested 14 people. Nine of them are Belgians, mostly of foreign origin, three are Moroccans and two are Tunisians. They...

BRUSSELS: A terror trial opened on Monday in Brussels amid tight security for 10 men, some of whom are accused of plotting a bomb attack and others suspected of having links with al-Qaeda operatives across Europe. Key suspect Tarek Maaroufi has already been convicted in two other cases and was among 18 militants sentenced earlier this year for his part in a European terror ring that recruited fighters for al-Qaeda and Taliban. "His previous convictions show that he is at the centre of things and has important contacts in Europe," said spokeswoman for federal prosecutors Lieve Pellens. Maaroufi had also...

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- A former professional soccer player who joined al-Qaida was convicted Tuesday of plotting to blow up a U.S. military base believed to contain nuclear weapons in the first verdict in a trial of nearly two dozen alleged militants. Nizar Trabelsi, a Tunisian who once played soccer in Germany, was given the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He had admitted planning to drive a car bomb into the canteen of the Kleine Brogel air base, where 100 U.S. military personnel work. Another Tunisian-born suspect, Tarek Maaroufi, was sentenced to six years for his involvement in...