Morocco: State Breaks Up Terrorist Cell - Police Department

ALLAFRICA.com - Maghreb Arabe Presse (Rabat) ^ | October 1, 2011 | n/a

[Cindy]

SNIPPET: "Rabat — Morocco's security forces have broken up a five-member terrorist cell that used to operate in the cities of Salé (near Rabat) and Casablanca, National Police Department said on Saturday in a statement.

The statement added that the dismantled cell includes a member linked to the former emir of al Qaeda network in northern Iraq.

The cell, which pledged allegiance to Ayman Al-Zawahiri, used Internet to forge close ties with al Qaida, especially in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Yemen and Somalia, it said."

SNIPPET: "To carry out their plans, the members of the cell contacted, via Internet, experts in explosives making, including the prime accused in the Argana attack in Marrakech last April, the police department said.

The statement said that investigations showed that the members of the cell were involved in credit card fraud and withdrawing money intended for terrorists based in Somalia."

[Cindy]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/state-media-morocco-dismantles-militant-cell-14649846

“State Media: Morocco Dismantles New Militant Cell”

RABAT, Morocco October 2, 2011 (AP)

SNIPPET: “The five-man group was operating in the cities of Casablanca and Sale and one of the members was related to a high-ranking al-Qaida operative in Iraq, the report quoting the national intelligence agency said late Saturday.”

SNIPPET: “Eight people are currently on trial for the April 28 attack against the Argana cafe, which killed 17 people, mostly tourists.

Moroccan authorities said members of a three-man cell based in Casablanca were arrested on Sept. 23 and had plans to attack police stations to secure weapons. The group also had contact with al-Qaida elements abroad, authorities said.”

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/aqim/index

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Previously...

Quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2782963/posts

Cell linked to Al Qaeda smashed, says Morocco
Gulf-Times ^ | Saturday, September 24, 2011 | unattributed
Posted on September 23, 2011 5:02:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Morocco said yesterday it had broken up a three-man cell with links to Al Qaeda which planned to carry out attacks on security headquarters and Western interests in the kingdom. “The members of this cell intended to join camps of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) outside Morocco to undergo military training with the aim of returning to the kingdom to carry out criminal acts,” the interior ministry said. The cell, which called itself the Al Battar Squadron, “included a former detainee under anti-terrorist legislation, and was headed by one of the most active individuals on jihadist Internet sites with links to the Al Qaeda network,” it said.

(Excerpt) Read more at gulf-times.com ...