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| Middle East |
| Jordan Arrests Two Top Islamist Fugitives |
| 2003-09-27 |
| Jordanian security forces on Saturday arrested two top fugitives, including a senior Islamist blamed for violent rioting last year in the southern city of Maan in which seven people were killed. "Fresh truncheons and moustachios for our guests!" Information Minister Nabil al-Sharif said security forces arrested firebrand Muslim preacher Mohamad Chalabi, also known as Abu Sayyaf, and Omar Ghazi al-Bazayaa. Both men were wanted for various security offences. cooool! "They were arrested in the city of Mafraq...this morning. It was a clean and successful operation and no one was injured, yet" Sharif said. Abu Sayyaf, an alleged sympathizer of the militant al Qaeda network chief Osama bin Laden, had fled a hunt by authorities last year in the city of Maan searching for militants said to be linked to the murder of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley in Amman last October. The attack was blamed on al Qaeda. Maan, the volatile desert city some 250 km (160 miles) south of the capital Amman, has witnessed bouts of civil unrest in the past decade over fuel price hikes and pro-Iraq protests. |
| Posted by:Frank G |