Hats off to France/Germany!! (NOT sarcastic)

[Seismic Anamoly]

For making this Christmas a little safer for everyone.....

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Would-Be Strasbourg Bombers Sentenced



A French court on Thursday sentenced 10 people to prison terms of up to 10 years for taking part in a conspiracy to blow up a Christmas market in Strasbourg. Mohamed Bensakhria and Slimane Khalfaoui, who were said to be the group's leaders, were given 10 years, and Mohamed Yacine Aknouche was given eight. Rabah Kadri, who is in detention in Britain, was given six years and was banned from entering French territory. They and the others, who received shorter terms, were all found guilty of "criminal association with a terrorist enterprise." The men provided logistical support for a group of Islamists based in the German city of Frankfurt, who were arrested in possession of plans to blow up a Strasbourg market in December 2000.



Four members of the Frankfurt group were sentenced to between 10 and 12 years in jail by a German court last year.

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[MIKE BURN]

Well, Europe is not asleep....



Yesterday the Spanish police arrested 4 islamistic fundamentalists, on the Spanish Island of Lanzarote, in connection with the murdering of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh. The main suspect in this case, Moroccan Hassan El Haksi, was one of the four and brought to the main court in the Spanish capitol of Madrid. (only Spanish articles available so far).

[MIKE BURN]

Oh well, I just found a CNN article about the arrests right now, buried on "CNN International" and not telling the truth.

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Spain arrest linked to Madrid



MADRID, Spain (CNN)) -- Spanish police have arrested four suspected Islamic militants, one of whom was believed involved in the March 11 train bombings that killed 191 people, the Interior Ministry said.



The key suspect, 41-year-old Moroccan Hassan El Haski, was arrested on Lanzarote, one of Spain's Canary Islands.



An arrest warrant had been issued for him.



The ministry said El Haski and the three other men were suspected of trying to form a logistical base in the Canary Islands after some members of their organization -- the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group -- were arrested in France and Belgium.



In addition to the 191 people kiled in the bombings, 1,900 were wounded.

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Like I said above and read in Spanish and other European newspapers today, the suspects were arrested because of a connection to the Theo van Gogh case, NOT the Madrid train bombings.

[Galmin]

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the suspects were arrested because of a connection to the Theo van Gogh case, NOT the Madrid train bombings

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True, though El Pais says there is a link:

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España

Islamistas detenidos en Francia y Bélgica vinculan a Hassan el Haski con el 11-M

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[MIKE BURN]

El Periódico tells it like this:

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Francia avisó de la llegada del jefe de la célula islamista a Canarias. La policía considera a El Haski líder del Grupo Combatiente Marroquí en Europa.



Interior traslada a los cuatro detenidos a Madrid e investiga sus vínculos con el 11-M.

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In any case it is good they were arrested, but still there is only a "investigation" regarding ties to the Madrid bnombings.

The reason for the arrest was the suspected direct relation to the van Gogh murdering.

[Galmin]

...and ABC tells it like this:

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EDICIÓN IMPRESA - Terrorismo

Islamistas detenidos en Francia y Bélgica vinculan al jefe de la célula de Lanzarote con el 11-M

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We could be at this all day

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In any case it is good they were arrested...

The reason for the arrest was the suspected direct relation to the van Gogh murdering.

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Yes.

[Seismic Anamoly]

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In any case it is good they were arrested...

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DITTO!!!!