« India: Two Muslims Killed In Kashmir Grenade Attack |
| Australia: Guantanamo Muslim Detainee Has Become An Apostate »
June 23, 2006
France: Convicted Islamist Extradited From Britain
News from Agence France Presse via Expatica, the BBC and French Yahoo reports that a man who was convicted in absentia in December 2004 for plotting a bomb attack, is in the process of extradition to France.
Rabah Kadri had been convicted of plotting to bomb Strasbourg Christmas Market (pictured) in northeastern France in 2000. He was given a six year jail sentence. The nine others involved in the plot were Al Qaeda bomber Mohammed Bensakhria, who led the plot, and others aged between 29 and 55, mostly from North Africa. The other suspects were all found guilty, and were handed sentences of up to 10 years.
Rabah Kadri, an Algerian, had fled to Britain, where he was arrested in 2002. In Britain, he had been an associate of Rachid Boukhalfa or "Abou Doha". Boukhalfa, (also known as Abu Doha, Amar Makhlulif, the "Doctor", Didier Ajuelos, Dr Haider or Rachid Kefflous) was under suspicion of involvement in the "Millenium Bomber campaign, which had been a plot to blow up Los Angeles International Airport on New Year's Eve, 1999. Doha is said to be a regional leader of the Salafist Group for Preaching & Combat (GSPC).
Abou Doha had been arrested at Heathrow airport in February 2001 on his way to Jeddah and has subsequently fought extradition requests from the United States. Doha is also suspected by Italian antiterror police of being linked with the plan to blow up Strasbourg Christmas Market, and also Strasbourg Cathedral. His phone records showed he had been in contact with an al-Qaeda cell in Milan.
Kadri had been arrested in mid November 2002 in London, after investigators researching the links of Abou Doha tracked him down. He was found with material which led to him being charged with possessing material which could be used to commit terror attacks. Kadri was assumed to have plotted to commit a bomb attack upon London Underground. He was subsequently charged again in February 2003 for an alleged plot to create a chemical weapon between 1 January 2002 and 20 January 2003.
Yesterday, Rabah Kadri arrived at the military airport at Villacoublay west of Paris. If he accepts his jail sentence, he will immediately commence to serve his jail term. If however, he contests this on appeal, he will be allowed a retrial.
The bomb plot against Strasbourg Christmas Market was to have involved a timer to detonate explosives in the area where thousands of shoppers attend the brightly lit stalls.
Others who had been involved in the plot to bomb the market were a group of four Islamists from Frankfurt. These were sentenced to jail terms of 10 to 12 years in Germany in 2003. They were found with plans of the market, weaponry and explosives. Those who had been convicted in France in 2004 are sometimes referred to as the "Frankfurt Group".
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at June 23, 2006 7:09 PM
Comments
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)