Mauritania arrested several military officers Monday in an alleged assassination plot against the president, military officials said. Military members in the Arab-dominated desert nation were restricted to barracks nationwide, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Normal patrols stopped in the capital, Nouakchott. Dozens of soldiers with heavy weapons took up positions at the capital's electricity plant. There was no immediate confirmation or denial from the West African nation's government of the alleged plot against President Maaoya Sid Ahmed Ould Taya. The arrests allegedly occurred Monday morning. Those arrested included a lieutenant colonel, among other officers, the officials said, without specifying how many people were detained. "They were hoping to carry out their plan, but it was derailed at the last moment," said one official. State radio and TV continued broadcasts as normal, and no extra guards were seen at the media stations - generally the first targets in any takeover attempt.
| That's on page 37 of "Coups For Dummies" |
Taya has held power since December 1984.
| That makes him a senior statesman |
He withstood a June 2003 coup attempt that triggered days of fighting in the capital. Mauritania is overwhelmingly Islamic, and straddles Arab and African worlds on the edge of the Sahara.
The country has drawn increased interest internationally with oil exploration offshore.
| Great, another Arab-African Islamic state with oil. Just what the world needs. |
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