French police have arrested two suspected Islamic militants during an investigation into the possible recruitment of people in France to join a fight by Chechen separatists. The arrests are the latest in a sweep in which nine men have already been detained over the alleged planning of attacks on Russian targets in France, including the Russian embassy. The two latest detainees, of [North] African origin, were seized at their homes in the Oise region, north of Paris, on Tuesday, and placed in custody. Anti-terrorist judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere is expected to question them before the end of the week. The interior ministry has named one of the nine other detainees as Menad Benchellali. His brother is being held at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since US action in Afghanistan against the Al-Qaeda network. The ministry said that an underground cell, to which some of the men belonged, planned to attack Russian targets to avenge the death of an Arab-born Chechen guerrilla leader killed by Russian troops.
And the clean-up continues in Europe, as a matter of self-preservation... |