Terror suspects re-arrested
2004-07-14 20:42
Manama - Bahrain arrested seven suspected al-Qaeda linked Islamists on Wednesday for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in the kingdom, six of whom were freed last month after being briefly detained for similar reasons, the interior ministry said.
The suspects "prepared a plan to carry out attacks using explosives against government, economic and tourist facilities", a ministry statement said.
The men wanted to "spread panic among the population, create disorder and expose the national economy and foreign investments to danger," the statement added.
The six were released without charge on June 23 after being arrested the previous day for planning to carry out "grave acts" in the tiny Gulf country on behalf of the al-Qaeda terror network.
"After widescale investigations and the inspection of various sites, the security forces arrested six people to stop them from carrying out grave acts against human lives and goods through the use of dangerous materials," Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al-Khalifa said after their arrest.
A Bahraini official said last week the suspects were still under judicial investigation.
On July 2, Washington issued a terror alert in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and is home to some 5 000 Americans, most of them military personnel.
The Pentagon ordered the departure of dependents of military personnel and non-emergency defence officials from Bahrain, because of credible reports that Muslim extremists were planning attacks on US interests.
The US state department also authorised the departure of dependents and non-emergency employees at its embassy here.
A US military spokesperson said the move involves 930 people who are "temporarily relocating" to the United States in a process that would take about a fortnight.
Washington bills Bahrain as a "major non-Nato ally".