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Posted on 03/04/2002 1:58:49 AM PST by kattracks
Italian investigators are looking into a second ring of suspected terrorists who may have been plotting a chemical weapons assault on Rome.
An Algerian, a Pakistani, a Tunisian and three Iraqis were arrested in early morning raids Friday.
A group of Moroccans was arrested last month with a map of the U.S. Embassy and large quantities of a cyanide compound that experts say could have been turned into a deadly gas.
The ring busted Friday is thought to be completely independent of the Moroccans, officials said, although both likely have ties to Al Qaeda's network of terror.
Investigators said they picked up chilling conversations from wiretaps and listening devices planted at a mosque.
In one conversation, two of the suspects talked about how to get deadly chemicals.
"Ciprian, that's poison," one man said.
"He wants to get the cyanide. ... Who can do it?" another man asks.
The group also talked about acquiring weapons and its desire to kill President Bush.
One of the voices said: "I want to kill Bush. It must be done."
A police source commented, "There was no plan to kill him, but they expressed hatred for Bush."
The six men, the subject of an intense seven-month probe, are charged with "subversive association."
The suspects are believed to have ties to the radical Algerian insurgent movement the Armed Islamic Group.
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