BAHRAIN BOMB PLOT ALLEGED

Gulf Daily News ^ | 7/15/04

[TexKat]

Six out of seven men suspected of plotting an Al Qaeda terrorist attack in Bahrain were re-arrested yesterday.

New evidence reportedly revealed that they were on the verge of launching an attack when they were first arrested on June 22.

An investigation of belongings seized from their homes indicated that they had planned and were ready to execute an attack, said a statement from the Interior Ministry.

Chemicals taken from their homes and files seized from their computers indicated that they had completed the planning stages of their operation and were awaiting a convenient time to strike, said the statement.

The targets of their plot included government, business and tourist establishments, with the aim of causing terror and hurting Bahrain's economy and foreign investment in the country, said the ministry.

It is believed the seventh man, Ali Mahmood Mohieddin Khan, who holds a British passport, left the country less than a week ago allegedly for medical treatment, according to sources.

Files taken from their homes included information about building weapons, bombs, poisons and the chemicals needed for that, said the ministry statement.

It said they also had information revealing how to gain possession of the chemicals needed locally and instructions on how to use them.

The evidence was presented before the Public Prosecutor's Office, which issued an order for their re-arrest because the evidence against them was sufficient, said the ministry.

The men are believed to have been called by police stations near their homes and placed under arrest, according to sources.

Mr Khan, his brother Mohieddin, Bassam Yousif Abdul Karim Al Ali, Abdulrazzaq Bokhowa, Yasser Abdulla Mohammed Kamal, Omar Abdulla Mohammed Kamal were originally arrested on June 22 from their homes.

Shaikh Mohammed Saleh was originally put under house arrest.

All were later temporarily freed pending an investigation of belongings seized from their homes.

Shaikh Mohammed had previously been detained in Saudi Arabia for nine months without charge and later released.

He is now in police custody with five others, said sources.

[TexKat]

ping

[TexKat]

Six Bahrainis rearrested

Accused charged with possession of subversive material

By Shereen Bushehri and Mazen Mahdi

Six Bahrainis were rearrested yesterday on suspicion of planning to carry out “bombings on some government, business and tourist facilities to spread chaos and fear and harm the national economy and foreign investments,” the Ministry of Interior said, quoting the National Security Agency.

They will remain in custody for 45 days, the Public Prosecution said early this morning.

The six men, Bassam Bokhowa, Bassam Al Ali, Shaikh Mohammed Saleh, brothers Yasser Kamal and Omar Kamal and brothers Mohieddeen Khan and Ali Khan, had been detained for two days and then released on June 23.

“The security officers were granted permission by the Public Prosecution to search their houses, and computers and chemical substances were seized. The Public Prosecution released the suspects until the completion of the investigations,” the ministry said in a statement released yesterday.

The ministry said that the authorities had continued to search the seized computers, transcribe the cassettes and test the chemicals found in their possession.

“The computers had files on how to make weapons, explosives, poison and chemical substances and how to obtain them from local raw material and practise using them,” the ministry said.

“The evidence showed the men subscribed to ideologies that encourage the use of explosives to harm national and foreign interests. They identified the locations of these interests and photographed them. They used codes and symbols to evade detection as was evidenced from their contacts with extremist organisations abroad,” the ministry said.

“The investigations have revealed that they had completed their planning and were ready to carry out their terrorist attacks whenever there was a good opportunity.”

All the information was presented to the Public Prosecution and was confirmed by the competent security officers. The Public Prosecution issued the order to re-arrest the suspects for interrogation in accordance with Articles 155 and 157 of the Penal Code.

The seven suspect, Ali Khan, a British passport holder is in Britain. His lawyer, Fareed Ghazi, told the Tribune that he “still does not know if the government will ask for his extradition back to Bahrain.”

The other six were submitted to the Public Prosecution late last night and two, Bassam Bokhowa and Mohieddeen Khan, ended their interrogation at about 1 this morning. “Mohieddeen was interrogated for over three hours. He was charged with the attempt to bomb government, tourists, foreign and financial locations, attempt to produce bombs and chemical and relation with foreign Jihad-based Islamic organisations in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq,” said his lawyer, Ghazi.

“My client denied all the charges. He only admitted to going to Afghanistan in 1989 for jihad (holy war) and has been trained on using weapons, but not bombs. Many Muslims had gone to Afghanistan for Jihad during the Soviet war,” he said.

“The only so-called evidence found was the CV of Bassam Al Ali on his computer. He was also charged that Bassam Al Ali taught him how to make bombs,” he said.

“I think he will be released. There is no concrete evidence against him. People should not be jailed for thoughts. If he (my client) thinks jihad is positive, he shouldn’t be jailed. He has not committed a crime,” he said.

“All the evidence given to the public prosecution is based on ‘Ifs” and nothing else.”

Bassam Bokhawa’s lawyer, Rabab Al Arrayedh, declined to comment and only said that the initial investigation was over. Ali Khan’s brother, Mohammed Khan, said that his brother is still in Britain and has not been informed of any arrest.

All the six suspects received phone calls yesterday afternoon from the police station to go for investigation. They were then investigated by the National Security Agency and taken to the prosecutor. The six were told that they would be allowed four visits a week.

n Bahrain will level charges against Ali Khan who holds a British passport and has the dual nationality, sources said last night. It will ask Britain either to extradite Ali or try him there.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks! I wonder how many of these clymers stayed in the Iranian Hostel for al Quaeda for rest, financing and planning this.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1172100/posts

Nearly 400 Al-Qaeda Members And Other Terror Suspects In Iran: Newspaper
TurkishPress ^ | July 15 2004 | NA


Posted on 07/15/2004 12:23:23 PM PDT by Dog


DUBAI, July 15 (AFP) - Hundreds of alleged members of Al-Qaeda, including 18 of its top leaders, and other terror groups are living in Iran, some under tight security, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported Thursday.

"More than 384 members of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations are present in Iran, including 18 senior leaders of Osama bin Laden`s network," the London-based daily said, citing a senior source in the Iranian presidency.

The Saudi-owned newspaper said the terrorist leaders were living under tight protection, some of them in villas in the Namak Abrud region, near the town of Chalous on the Caspian coast, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Tehran.

Others are living in Lavizan, in the north-west of the capital, and which also houses a large military complex, it added.

The report could not be verified in Tehran.

According to the source, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad convinced Tehran, during his visit to Iran early this month, of the "seriousness" of using Al-Qaeda elements in Iran as a card in its policy with the United States.

As a consequence, Tehran handed over wanted Saudi militant Khaled bin Odeh bin Mohammed al-Harbi to the Saudi authorities, the source added.

Riyadh has said the disabled militant, suspected of being an Al-Qaeda figure close to bin Laden, surrendered on Tuesday under an amnesty after contacting the Saudi embassy in Iran.

In 2003, Iran confirmed it was holding senior Al-Qaeda members but refused to identify them. Tehran has said the detainees may stand trial in Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said last month his country had given Saudi Arabia some useful information concerning members of Osama bin Laden`s network that it was detaining.