Posted on 10/12/2009 9:52:25 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
A French physicist with the European atomic research centre near Geneva was charged with terrorism offences by a Paris judge last night after investigators said that he offered to work with the North African branch of al-Qaeda.
Adlène Hicheur, 32, who is of Algerian origin, was arrested last week with his younger brother after intelligence agents intercepted his alleged internet contacts with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
The physicist, who works at the giant atomic collider at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), which straddles Swiss and French territory, told the Islamic group that he was interested in committing an attack but had not begun any material preparation, according to police sources. He had acknowledged contacting the militant organisation, they said.
The brother was released last weekend without charge.
Judge Christophe Teissier, of the anti-terrorist branch, ordered the French internal security service, the DCRI, to open an investigation into the possible offence of association with criminals in relation with a terrorist enterprise. Judge Teissier placed the scientist under formal investigation and ordered his detention.
The arrest raised the possibility that Islamist militants could be seeking nuclear weapons technology or planning to attack nuclear targets.
Dr Hicheur is reported to have worked for the British Governments Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire for about a year in 2005. He was placed under surveillance by French officers last year after US intelligence services intercepted internet messages he allegedly sent to contacts close to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim).
However, his arrest last week has sparked a furious row among Frances anti-terrorist magistrates. Judge Teissiers critics say that he missed an opportunity to obtain invaluable information about Aqim networks by moving to detain the suspect at an early stage in his investigation. They said that he should have
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
You were first by 1 second.
Or, to put it another way, you posted this story first by one trillion nanoseconds (or whatever the CERN measurement of particle travel is).
A new record, I’d guess.
:)
bruinbirdman took the time to post the photo. :)
Blasted Amish....
Or it was a collaboration to test IPO speed?
Actually this story was posted this morning about 10:50 AM.
yitbos
"Gravity is racist."
That make it more of an interesting occurance. If it was posted so many hours ago, what made two FReepers post it again within one second of each other? Therein lies the tale, or at least a fun late night treat.
By the way, this thread now sits atop breaking news. Where the story should be either way.
They always said this God Machine was bad news, as in Black Hole. Maybe this Adlène Hicheur guy was some kind of message?
yitbos
Since nobody else is awake, you can tell us quietly. What is the real meaning of yitbos?
It’s great that the frogs caught him. Surprising, really.
Maybe it warps space so significantly that the only people that survive the singularity/collapse are the ones you shake hands with at church, and stand next to at the shooting range.
is that a fair ride?
Maybe you're on to something. They wouldn't let them build it in Texas.
yitbos
yitbos
We don't need it in Texas. We're already the closest thing to heaven humanity will experience this side of the grave.
yitbos.
French intelligence is suprisingly good. I think France panders a lot less to you know who versus the UK.
This is comforting.
What would a physicist working on an Accelerator offer to al-Qaeda? Besides pure research, accelerators have practical applications in medicine and industry, most notably in the production of radioisotopes. A man with that technological background, a site to manufacture the weapon, and Muslim financing could make a Neutron Bomb — perfect for a surgical strike to kills Jews in Jerusalem (who reportedly have hundreds of ERWs themselves), while leaving the city mostly-intact ... and livable after the radioactivity rapidly decays. |
If a jihadi gets sucked into a singularity, does he still get 72 virgins on the other side?
Of course, I don’t feel any safer now, what with terrorists taking over the pentagon-equivalent of nuclear Pakistan.
The implications of a CERN staffer being involved with AQ are just ... scary.
I hope he’ll be enjoying the rest of his life in a French prison.
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