WASHINGTON: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement on Saturday that New York Times correspondent Carlotta Gall had been beaten up in Quetta where she had gone on a reporting assignment. Her photographer was detained before being released. CPJ called for a full investigation.
While Ms Gall is said to have been roughed up in her hotel room, her photographer Akhtar Soomro was kept in detention. The alleged incident took place on December 19. Ms Gall, who recently filed a report about incursions of Taliban and other extremist elements from Pakistan into Afghanistan, told the CPJ that men claiming to be from the special branch of police detained Soomro, a Pakistani national, in his hotel and seized his computer and camera.
Four men later broke into the journalist’s room in another hotel, hit her and took away some of her belongings. Ms Gall said she had bruises on her arms, temple and cheekbone, a swelling on her left eye and a sprained knee.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006/12/23/story_23-12-2006_pg1_3
Albania Seizes Assets of Alleged Bin Laden Associate
TIRANA - The Albanian government said Friday that it has seized assets of a man who allegedly worked with Osama bin Laden to provide support to terror networks in Albania.
The Finance Ministry said it ordered authorities to block four apartments, a house, four bars and shops, and more than 2 hectares (about 5 acres) of land belonging to Yasin al-Qadi, a Saudi businessman whom the United States accused of being a terrorist in October 2001
http://www.albaniannews.com/main.asp
Albania seizes assets of alleged bin Laden associate
23 December 2006
TIRANA -- Albania has seized assets of an alleged Osama bin Laden aide working to support terror networks in Albania. The Finance Ministry said it ordered authorities to block four apartments, a house, four bars and shops, and more than 2 hectares of land belonging to Yasin al-Qadi. Al-Qadi, is a Saudi businessman whom the United States accused of being a terrorist in October 2001 and who is on a U.N. sanctions list requiring all U.N. members to impose a travel ban on him and block his assets, according to Official Gazette.
Al-Qadi, who left Albania years ago, used six different names for the seized assets, all of which were in the Tirana area. Finance Ministry spokeswoman Eva Simoni could not give an exact figure of the value of the assets, saying the authorities were still in the initial stage of administering the property. Albania has blocked bank accounts, investments and other assets of some other Arab citizens living and working in Albania and Islamic civic organizations accused by the United Nations of funding terrorist activities.
The U.S. Treasury says al-Qadi is believed to be associated with Abdul Latif Saleh, who holds Jordanian and Albanian citizenship and who also was placed on a U.N. sanctions list. The U.S. has alleged that bin Laden provided funds to Saleh to encourage the creation of extremist groups in Albania, where Saleh is believed to be closely associated with groups linked to the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, a terror group connected to al-Qaida.
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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/globe-article.php?yyyy=2006&mm=12&dd=23&nav_category=123&nav_id=38800