Free Republic

Note: Photo included with article. SNIPPET: "U.S. authorities have transferred Younis al-Mauritani, held in Afghanistan, to Mauritania, officials in the West African nation said on Saturday. Pakistan said in September 2011 it arrested al-Mauritani, better known in his homeland Mauritania as Youssouf Al Mauritani, during a joint operation with U.S. intelligence services." SNIPPET: "Pakistani military authorities said Al Mauritani was planning to attack U.S. economic interests including pipelines, hydro-electric dams and oil tankers when he was captured."

A senior Al Qaeda leader who has been linked to the planning of attacks on Australia has been arrested in Pakistan. Younis al-Mauritania was caught in the suburbs of the south-western city of Quetta, the military said in a statement. Two other senior operatives in the Al Qaeda terrorist group were also captured and arrested by Pakistan's main intelligence service. Mauritania was responsible for conducting international operations, and had been ordered by Osama bin Laden to hit Australian, American and European economic interests, the statement said. Cooperation between the CIA and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency led to the arrests by...