Posted on 01/30/2005 8:51:06 PM PST by jb6
PARIS (Reuters) - Suspected Islamists arrested by secret service agents in Paris this week were plotting terrorist attacks on French and foreign targets in the country, the Paris public prosecutor's office said on Friday. Anti-terrorism magistrates are to prosecute three of the 11 people detained in a series of swoops in a northern district of the French capital on Monday and Tuesday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The others have been released or will be shortly.
"This network is suspected of drawing up plans for attacks in France against French and foreign interests," said the prosecutor's office in a statement. It did not elaborate.
The prosecutor's office confirmed two people had been charged with association with criminals engaged in a terrorist enterprise. They were to be remanded in custody later on Friday.
A third was to be questioned on Saturday by the anti-terrorism judges leading the investigation, Jean-Louis Bruguiere and Jean-Francois Richard.
Intelligence services believe the trio were part of an "Iraq (news - web sites) network" recruiting guerrillas to fight U.S.-led forces. Officials said the network had now been dismantled.
Anti-terrorism experts fear Iraq, like Afghanistan (news - web sites) in the 1980s, will attract Islamic militants bent on resorting to political violence once they return home.
Roland Jacquard, head of the International Terrorism Observatory in Paris, said earlier this month al Qaeda was training agents, including Western nationals, in Iraq and sending them home to form networks or sleeper cells.
France launched a formal probe into Iraq recruitment networks after three of its nationals died in fighting or suicide operations against U.S.-led forces.
All three came from the Paris district raided in this week's operation, Le Parisien newspaper reported on Wednesday.
just goes to show that opposing the US, Israel, and a free Iraq will not appease terrorists. They don't just want agreement with their political goals - they want to take over the world. To them the French are useful infidels, but still infidels.
I'm surprised the French didn't sell them explosives and shoulder fired missiles....... But maybe that's how they uncovered their plot?
Can't they use their underwear instead? Oh, wait, never mind...
It's all Kerry's fault. Chirac never should have met with him.
Never fired, excellent condition.... Only laid down once
So what's the consensus on what impact today's election will have on terrorists from other countries going to Iraq?
And planning to attack France, staunch ally of terrorism as long as it's ouside French borders, WHY, exactly?
Somehow, the article doesn't say.
They were probably just visiting France to buy bin Laden T shirts (just kidding, they were probably buying Binny T shirts AND planning to attack...somewhere)
Good job, French authorities. Dog biscuit for Chirac (pat, pat)
Yeah, and they can't use their underwear because that's all brown now!
Why would the terrorists waste valuable explosives on the capital of a future Muslim state? Just keep having babies, and in 25 years Notre Dame will become the Grand Mosque Arafat.
Sorry Bonaparte,
I didn't see your post on the first go 'round.
Great/witty minds think alike! ; )
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