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| Europe |
| Krekar sent congratulations to Binny after 9/11 |
| 2004-12-09 |
| German media claim that controversial Norwegian resident mullah Krekar congratulated Osama bin Laden shortly after the terrorist attack on the USA on Sep. 11, 2001. German media are now linking a speech given by Krekar at a mosque in Biara, Iraq, on Sep. 14, 2001 to an allegedly planned assassination on the Iraqi prime minister in Berlin last week, newspaper VG reported. VG cited Berlin newspaper Der Tagespiel's story that German security police have arrested a man - Jassin F. - that they claim is Krekar's chief financial officer and secretary. The reports, which were widely used by the German media, claim that Jassin F., an asylum seeker in Germany for six years, was arrested by Kurdish police in North Iraq with USD 40,000 in cash and a tape where Krekar praises bin Laden's terrorist actions in the USA. German news magazine Der Spiegel said that the four suspects in the assassination attempt are all found in Jassin F's phone book and that both Jassin F. and one of the four are close personal friends of Krekar. Krekar told VG that it was incorrect that he offered his congratulations after the attack on the USA but would give no further comment. Krekars's lawyer Brynjar Meling believes the tape's contents may have been misinterpreted. "I am aware of mullah Krekar praising Osama bin Laden on previous tapes but this is on recordings before September 11," Meling said. Meling said he was confident that Krekar had already discussed all such recordings in detail with Norwegian special crime unit Økokrim and that nothing criminal had been found. Økokrim said that their investigation of Krekar was over. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |