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| Southeast Asia |
| 3 al-Qaeda suspects undergo grilling |
| 2008-03-08 |
| Three suspected foreign militants arrested last month in connection with an alleged plot to bomb embassies in Metro Manila are in the custody of military intelligence officers and undergoing questioning, according to sources in the Philippine National Police. Intelligence operatives who asked not to be named identified the militants, suspected to be members of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, as Khalil Hasan Al-Alih and two others known only by their aliases, Salman and Wahid. Salman, who agents said hailed from a Middle Eastern country, and Wahid, an Indonesian, were arrested in Davao City between February 15 and February 29. Al-Alih, a Jordanian who was also using a Kuwaiti passport, was arrested last February 15 at the Manila International Airport. They are currently under the custody of the military’s Intelligence and Security Group (ISG), according to PNP sources, held on suspicion that they belong to an al-Qaeda sleeper cell planning to launch bombing attacks on US, British, Australian and Israeli embassies in Manila. Sources also said Al-Alih was managing a travel and placement agency in the Malate area. Investigators are investigating the possibility that the agency is a front used to funnel funds to al-Qaeda. A source also noted that an associate of Al-Alih was arrested in 1996 in Germany on suspicion of being a terrorist. He was later released. The US Embassy said Friday it had been informed about the police operation but refused to comment on whether US security officers were involved in the investigation. “We are aware of the reported arrests,” said Embassy deputy press attache Karen Schinnerer. She added that it would be business as usual in the US Embassy with regard to its consular service and other affairs when asked if changes in security arrangements were implemented because of the alleged bombing plot. The Australian Embassy meanwhile has tightened security in its Makati City office and said it continued to coordinate with Philippine authorities in the investigation of the alleged terror plot. “We are aware of the recent arrests made by Philippine security agencies of supposed members of a regional terrorist cell and of reports of alleged plots on the Australian Embassy and against Philippine leaders in recent weeks,” the Embassy said in a statement. Without giving specifics, the Australian post said it was “upgrading security” in its Makati office. The British Embassy for its part declined to discuss “sensitive security matters” but commented that the “security of our staff is taken very seriously.” |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Grilled West Texas beef style and not Japanese tuna style, I hope. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-03-08 09:30 |