18 months ago: 38-year-old Tunisian Moez Garsallaoui, right, and his wife, Malika El Aroud (click here), arrive at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, Wednesday, June 20, 2007. Switzerland's first Internet terrorism trial opened Wednesday with the prosecution accusing two Muslims of running Web sites that supported al-Qaida linked groups and showed terror executions. The two suspects, Moez Garsallaoui, a Tunisian based in Switzerland, and Malika El Aroud, the Belgian-born widow of an al-Qaida suicide bomber, appeared in the high-security court room on Wednesday morning.
Perhaps the the authorities in Belgium decided to round up those responsible for a planned bombing.
11.12.2008 21:00 UTC
Belgian police arrest 14 terror suspects (click here)
Police in Belgium have arrested 14 suspected members of the al-Qaeda terrorist group. Investigators say at least one of those arrested may have been plotting a suicide attack on Belgian territory. The arrests were made in a series of early morning police raids across the country. Security sources say one of the suspects had trained with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and had links with extremists in Britain, France and elsewhere in Europe.
Some of the reports in the media are treating this like a new arrest of some kind of legend. It is not really. She is known to the intelligence community.
I think there is more concern about their activities and that may be why she was taken off the street with so many others, but, the activities of the folks have been known for awhile now.
Why any of it was tolerated is beyond me. People go around saying they love Osama bin Laden and would do anything for him is automatically an accomplice. Recruiting means they are accomplices to the plans of a murderer. Why leave them on the street? On bail? No reason. Its a different breed of criminal. They are 'international' criminals. They make plans to kill across borders with hopes to disrupt government infrastructure and stability as well as fiscal stability.
AND.
THEY ARE CAPABLE of performing the crime. They can deliver on their activities. If they couldn't do that it would be a different scenario, but, these folks know that recruitment for al Qaeda will deliver the results they are planning.
