PrintBelgian police arrested 14 presumed Al Qaeda terrorists on the morning of December 11, one of whom may have been ready to carry out a terrorist attack. This comes just hours before the summit meeting of European heads of state and of the European Union slated for the afternoon. Three of the men arrested arrived not long before from Afghanistan. One of these had given his final farewells to his family, something that led the police to believe that he planned a suicide mission perhaps at the summit. All of those arrested are thought to have connections to local Al Qaeda cells.
Belgian prosecutor Johan Delmulle said to the media that the terrorist operation was related to the European Summit in Brussels, moving some 242 police officers to descend on the presumed Al Qaeda members in 16 distinct raids in Brussels and Liege. Said Delmulle “We do not know where the attack was to be committed, and it could be an operation to be carried out in Pakistan or Afghanistan, but neither Belgium or Europe can be dismissed as the target.”
Some sources contend that the police raids may be linked to a U.S. extradiction request for the Tunisian terrorist Nizar Trabelsi, convicted in 2004 for carrying out an attack on a Belgian military base. It is presumed that he is wanted by the U.S. for other involvement with Al Qaeda.
Spokesmen for France ruled out any cancellation of the afternoon summit, while European Union sources were not aware of any additional security needed for the summit.
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