Posted on 07/30/2002 1:15:21 AM PDT by Wallaby
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SYRIA CONFIRMS GERMAN CITIZEN SUSPECTED OF SUPPORTING AL-QA'IDAH IN CUSTODY
BBC Monitoring International Reports Source: Der Spiegel, Hamburg, in German 29 Jul 02 p 21 July 29, 2002
The decision by Prosecutor General Kay Nehm not to prosecute two suspected Syrian agents, who were arrested in Germany, has
promoted German-Syrian cooperation in combating terrorism. For the first time the Syrian government has now officially confirmed to the German authorities that suspected Al-Qa'idah supporter Mohammed Haydar Zammar from Hamburg is in their custody.
It is striking that death pilot Mohammed Atta spent an extended period in Zammar's home town of Aleppo
Up to now Damascus had just told the federal government that the case is "not known" to them. German investigators now hope that the interrogation of the German-Syrian will give them new information about his potential participation in the planning of the 11 September attacks. For instance, it is striking that death pilot Mohammed Atta spent an extended period in Zammar's home town of Aleppo. During the investigations Zammar has already admitted that he arranged a training stay in Afghanistan for the Hamburg group around Atta.
Last week the prosecutor general's office withdrew its indictment against the two suspected Syrian agents, because criminal prosecution would run counter to "superior public interests, in particular the combating of international terrorism".
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