Posted on 09/15/2004 9:26:41 AM PDT by knighthawk
Five suspected Islamic militants have been arrested in eastern France as part of an inquiry into the 11 September 2001 attacks, police sources say. The five are thought to be linked to a Moroccan man with alleged ties to the al-Qaeda network.
They were arrested late on Tuesday in the Alsace towns of Selestat and Colmar as part of an investigation conducted by two anti-terrorist judges.
They were taken to counter-terrorism headquarters in Paris on Wednesday.
The raids took place on the orders of anti-terror investigative judges Jean-Louis Bruguiere and Jean-Francois Richard.
The men can be held for up to four days under French anti-terrorism legislation before either being released or being presented to a judge, who can have them remanded in custody.
Prosecutors suspect the men of having links with Karim Mehdi, who was arrested in June last year at a Paris airport over a terrorism charge.
Mr Mehdi is under investigation - a step short of formal charges - for associating with criminals engaged in a terrorist enterprise.
He is accused of planning a bombing on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, officials say.
Mr Mehdi is also suspected of being linked to the al-Qaeda militants based in Hamburg, Germany, who planned the attacks on New York and Washington.
Ping
So, AQ now confirmed in, what is it...35 countries before 9/11...but NOT Iraq...
They'll release them.
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