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December 20, 2005
Spain: Islamist Suspect Is Belarus Muslim Convert
We reported on the arrests on Monday of suspected Islamists in Spain, who were suspected of involvement with financing of terrorism. The arrests took place following earlier detentions on November 23, in which 11 were arrested, and four charged. On December 9 seven people were arrested on the Costa del Sol, of which three were charged. Today, MosNews reports that one of those arrested on Monday was a citizen of Belarus who converted to Islam.
The 30-year old man was formerly known as Sergei Malyshev, before he converted to Islam and changed his name to Amin al-Ansari, stated the Spanish Interior Minister, Jose Antonio Alonso. Al-Ansari is apparently a chemical weapons expert, who took part in Islamist operations in Chechnya, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The group in Spain had links to the Algerian Islamist group, the "Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat" (GSPC), which is connected to al-Qaeda. The leader of the cell is alleged to be a 25 year old Iraqi national who calls himself M. Hiyag. The Spanish ministry claims that this individual has close links to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of "Al Qaeda in Iraq".
Other individuals in the group are Lebanese, Egyptian, Ghanaian, Algerian, Iraqi, Saudi, French and Spanish nationals, with eight Moroccans.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 20, 2005 4:52 PM
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