Italian jihadists tied to Brussels-based Al-Qaeda recruiting network. “Italy arrests linked to Brussels ‘al Qaeda’ recruiting network,” by Paul Cruickshank for CNN, May 15 (thanks to James):
(CNN) — European intelligence agencies are on alert for new al Qaeda terrorist plots following the arrest of two men at an Italian port and investigations into the activities of an alleged al Qaeda network based in Brussels.
The two are closely tied to a Brussels-based al Qaeda recruiting network, Belgian counter-terrorism officials have told CNN. They are Bassam Ayachi, 62, and Raphael Gendron, 33 — and they were detained in the port of Bari on November 11 last year after allegedly trying to smuggle three Palestinians and two Syrians into Italy in the false bottom of a camper van they were driving.
Now they face much more serious allegations following a counter-terrorism investigation by Italian, French and Belgian police. Italian authorities have officially charged them with being leaders of a logistical support team for al Qaeda.
A bug planted by Italian police in the suspects’ detention facility picked up snatches of conversation about an alleged scheme to attack Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. A partial transcript of one of their alleged conversations has now been released.
“I’ll hit de Gaulle,” Gendron tells Ayachi.
“We’ll hit it there,” Ayachi replies. “At night when there will be a lot of people.”
Later in the conversation they appear to discuss buying grenades off contacts in the Middle East.
French authorities have said that they were never aware of a concrete plot to attack the airport….
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