AP News, September 14th, 2007
Canadian authorities have arrested a fourth suspect in connection with an Internet video threat by Islamic militants against Austria and Germany, officials said Thursday.
Said Namouh, 35, was charged with "conspiring for the purpose of delivering, placing, discharging or detonating an explosive in a place outside Canada," said Royal Canadian Police Corp. Sylvain L'Heureux.
L'Heureux said it was not known where the device was supposed to be detonated but that there was no direct threat to Canada and no explosives were found. He said Namouh was a Canadian resident of African roots, but provided no other details.
He was arrested in the Mauricie region of Quebec on Wednesday, Austrian Interior Ministry spokesman Rudolf Gollia said.
Three Austrian citizens of Arab origin were arrested in Vienna on Wednesday in connection with a video that surfaced in March threatening to attack Germany and Austria unless the two nations withdrew their personnel from Afghanistan.
Gollia said authorities have identified the prime suspect, age 22, as the operator of the German-language Web site for the Global Islamic Media Front, an al-Qaida propaganda group.
Germany has about 3,000 troops serving with the NATO-led security force in Afghanistan, but Austria has sent just four liaison officers to the country.
Gollia said Austrian and Canadian authorities had worked closely for several weeks, and that it appeared that the man arrested in Canada had been planning to leave the country.
In televised remarks Thursday, Austrian Interior Minister Guenther Platter said the main Austrian suspect had "very close" Internet contact with the person arrested in Canada.
On Wednesday, Platter said there was no discernible plot in the works to carry out an attack in Austria, though he said the prime suspect had looked into acquiring explosives.
Authorities said they had the three Austrian suspects under surveillance for months and arrested them when it appeared they were preparing to leave the country.
Gollia said the main suspect wanted to leave the country soon to go on a honeymoon with his new wife _ the woman who was arrested. The tickets had been issued, he said.
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Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
