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09-14-2002, 05:25 PM

5 more arrested in Buffalo. Let's hope this "One by one" approach can make a difference.

"WASHINGTON (Sept. 14) - Terrorism arrests made outside Buffalo, N.Y., and in a Pakistani firefight emboldened authorities Saturday in their far-flung campaign against al-Qaida and its supporters. "One by one we're hunting the killers down,'' President Bush said.

Officials said five men from Lackawanna, N.Y., received weapons training at an al-Qaida camp visited by Osama bin Laden last summer and were charged with providing support to terrorism.

The charges were the latest in a series made in the United States over the past three weeks. Officials said the arrests underscore the broad reach of al-Qaida even in America and the breadth of the campaign to track the terrorists down.

``Terrorism and support of terrorists is not confined to large cities and metropolitan areas of America,'' Larry Thompson, deputy attorney general, told a news conference at Justice Department headquarters. ``It lurks in small towns and rural areas, as well.''

With the Buffalo arrests, U.S. law enforcement ``has identified, investigated and disrupted an al-Qaida-trained terrorist cell on American soil.''

Officials would say little about the fate of Ramzi Binalshibh, an alleged Sept. 11 plotter, since his capture in an assault by Pakistani forces and CIA agents in Karachi on Wednesday, a year to the day after the terrorist attack on America.

Thompson would not comment on Germany's request to extradite Binalshibh, suspected of being part of al-Qaida's Hamburg cell. The FBI believes he was intended to be the 20th hijacker of Sept. 11 but was repeatedly denied entry into the United States.

``One by one we're hunting the killers down,'' President Bush said Saturday at Camp David, Md. ``We are relentless, we are strong and we're not going to stop.''

Authorities said the five arrested in Buffalo, all born in America and of Yemeni descent, heard a speech from bin Laden promoting his anti-American and anti-Israeli views while they trained at the al-Farooq camp in Afghanistan in the summer of 2000.

John Walker Lindh, an American who pleaded guilty to aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan, attended the same camp, they said. Officials declined to comment when asked whether Lindh provided any information that helped lead to the arrests.

The men were charged with providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization - charges carrying maximum penalties of 15 years in prison upon conviction.

Justice officials thanked Muslim-Americans in the Buffalo area and elsewhere with helping them to crack the suspected U.S. al-Qaida ring, but did not specify what assistance law enforcement agencies got.

The investigation was continuing and FBI Director Robert Mueller said authorities ``do not fully know the intentions of those who were charged today.'' Two of the men have confirmed their visit to the al-Qaida camp, officials said.

In Pakistan, a raid and gunfight this week in Karachi nabbed Binalshibh, officials disclosed Friday.

Germany's interior minister, Otto Schily, said Saturday he would seek the extradition of Binalshibh to Germany, which had issued an international arrest warrant for him. It was not immediately clear how Germany's extradition request would affect U.S. plans for Binalshibh.

Attorney General John Ashcroft, attending a meeting of the 15 European Union justice ministers Saturday in Denmark, did not directly address the developments but cited increased cooperation with the EU countries on terrorism.

The capture by CIA operatives and Pakistani forces ended a one-year global manhunt for Binalshibh, who authorities alleged provided money and logistical support to the Sept. 11 hijackers.

The arrest of Binalshibh was a coup for U.S. authorities who have searched for him for months. Officials said he was not wounded during the capture.

Binalshibh, 30, who was born in Yemen, was frustrated in his attempts to receive a visa to enter the United States in 2000, where, U.S. officials allege, he planned to join the other 19 hijackers.

He is considered an aide to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, believed to be the mastermind of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings, officials said. Mohammed is still at large.

Officials declined to discuss Binalshibh's whereabouts, or whether he was providing information to authorities.

To catch him, police commandos fought a pitched battle with al-Qaida suspects holed up in an apartment Wednesday, with combat spilling out onto adjoining rooftops, officials said. They said two suspects were killed and several more captured in the fighting, as Pakistan stepped up pressure on the remnants of the terrorist movement.

At least six officers were wounded when police stormed the top-floor apartment and the rooftop where the gunmen held out against hundreds of troops in the street and on the roofs of nearby apartment blocks, they said. Two of the wounded were reported in critical condition.

U.S. personnel were not hurt in the raid, American officials said.

According to the U.S. grand jury indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui, an alleged conspirator in the Sept. 11 attacks, Binalshibh applied four times for a visa to enter the United States from May to October 2000, but was rebuffed each time.

After being denied a visa for the third time, Binalshibh allegedly began funneling money to associates inside the United States. He wired money to Moussaoui, to at least two hijackers and to a Florida flight school at which one of the hijackers was training, the indictment said.

As for the Buffalo-area arrests, the five men lived just a few blocks from each other and were discovered through recent investigation and intelligence suggesting they were part of a terrorist cell, officials said.

They were one of the reasons America's terrorist alert status was elevated to orange, the second highest, but not the only reason, a government official said.

09/14/02 17:05 EDT"

09-14-2002, 05:25 PM	#10
Moni Guest Posts: n/a	5 more arrested in Buffalo. Let's hope this "One by one" approach can make a difference. "WASHINGTON (Sept. 14) - Terrorism arrests made outside Buffalo, N.Y., and in a Pakistani firefight emboldened authorities Saturday in their far-flung campaign against al-Qaida and its supporters. "One by one we're hunting the killers down,'' President Bush said. Officials said five men from Lackawanna, N.Y., received weapons training at an al-Qaida camp visited by Osama bin Laden last summer and were charged with providing support to terrorism. The charges were the latest in a series made in the United States over the past three weeks. Officials said the arrests underscore the broad reach of al-Qaida even in America and the breadth of the campaign to track the terrorists down. ``Terrorism and support of terrorists is not confined to large cities and metropolitan areas of America,'' Larry Thompson, deputy attorney general, told a news conference at Justice Department headquarters. ``It lurks in small towns and rural areas, as well.'' With the Buffalo arrests, U.S. law enforcement ``has identified, investigated and disrupted an al-Qaida-trained terrorist cell on American soil.'' Officials would say little about the fate of Ramzi Binalshibh, an alleged Sept. 11 plotter, since his capture in an assault by Pakistani forces and CIA agents in Karachi on Wednesday, a year to the day after the terrorist attack on America. Thompson would not comment on Germany's request to extradite Binalshibh, suspected of being part of al-Qaida's Hamburg cell. The FBI believes he was intended to be the 20th hijacker of Sept. 11 but was repeatedly denied entry into the United States. ``One by one we're hunting the killers down,'' President Bush said Saturday at Camp David, Md. ``We are relentless, we are strong and we're not going to stop.'' Authorities said the five arrested in Buffalo, all born in America and of Yemeni descent, heard a speech from bin Laden promoting his anti-American and anti-Israeli views while they trained at the al-Farooq camp in Afghanistan in the summer of 2000. John Walker Lindh, an American who pleaded guilty to aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan, attended the same camp, they said. Officials declined to comment when asked whether Lindh provided any information that helped lead to the arrests. The men were charged with providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization - charges carrying maximum penalties of 15 years in prison upon conviction. Justice officials thanked Muslim-Americans in the Buffalo area and elsewhere with helping them to crack the suspected U.S. al-Qaida ring, but did not specify what assistance law enforcement agencies got. The investigation was continuing and FBI Director Robert Mueller said authorities ``do not fully know the intentions of those who were charged today.'' Two of the men have confirmed their visit to the al-Qaida camp, officials said. In Pakistan, a raid and gunfight this week in Karachi nabbed Binalshibh, officials disclosed Friday. Germany's interior minister, Otto Schily, said Saturday he would seek the extradition of Binalshibh to Germany, which had issued an international arrest warrant for him. It was not immediately clear how Germany's extradition request would affect U.S. plans for Binalshibh. Attorney General John Ashcroft, attending a meeting of the 15 European Union justice ministers Saturday in Denmark, did not directly address the developments but cited increased cooperation with the EU countries on terrorism. The capture by CIA operatives and Pakistani forces ended a one-year global manhunt for Binalshibh, who authorities alleged provided money and logistical support to the Sept. 11 hijackers. The arrest of Binalshibh was a coup for U.S. authorities who have searched for him for months. Officials said he was not wounded during the capture. Binalshibh, 30, who was born in Yemen, was frustrated in his attempts to receive a visa to enter the United States in 2000, where, U.S. officials allege, he planned to join the other 19 hijackers. He is considered an aide to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, believed to be the mastermind of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings, officials said. Mohammed is still at large. Officials declined to discuss Binalshibh's whereabouts, or whether he was providing information to authorities. To catch him, police commandos fought a pitched battle with al-Qaida suspects holed up in an apartment Wednesday, with combat spilling out onto adjoining rooftops, officials said. They said two suspects were killed and several more captured in the fighting, as Pakistan stepped up pressure on the remnants of the terrorist movement. At least six officers were wounded when police stormed the top-floor apartment and the rooftop where the gunmen held out against hundreds of troops in the street and on the roofs of nearby apartment blocks, they said. Two of the wounded were reported in critical condition. U.S. personnel were not hurt in the raid, American officials said. According to the U.S. grand jury indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui, an alleged conspirator in the Sept. 11 attacks, Binalshibh applied four times for a visa to enter the United States from May to October 2000, but was rebuffed each time. After being denied a visa for the third time, Binalshibh allegedly began funneling money to associates inside the United States. He wired money to Moussaoui, to at least two hijackers and to a Florida flight school at which one of the hijackers was training, the indictment said. As for the Buffalo-area arrests, the five men lived just a few blocks from each other and were discovered through recent investigation and intelligence suggesting they were part of a terrorist cell, officials said. They were one of the reasons America's terrorist alert status was elevated to orange, the second highest, but not the only reason, a government official said. 09/14/02 17:05 EDT"