US, UK terror plans on e-mail

2004-08-02 15:16

Islamabad - Pakistani intelligence agents found plans for new attacks against the United States and Britain on a computer seized during the arrest of a senior al-Qaeda suspect wanted for the 1998 twin US embassy bombings in East Africa, the information minister said.

The plans were found in e-mails on the computer of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian arrested July 25 after a 12-hour gun battle in the eastern city of Gujrat, information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told The Associated Press on Monday.

"We got a few e-mails from Ghailani's computer about (plans for) attacks in the US and UK," he said, adding that the information has been shared with Pakistan's allies - a reference to the United States.

Ahmed said authorities have also arrested another top suspect believed to be a computer and communications expert, and that that man was co-operating with investigators.

"He is a very wanted man, but I cannot say his name now," Ahmed said. He said the man was a militant, but refused to say if he was part of al-Qaeda.

Interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayyat confirmed that Ghailani was sharing "vital" information, but would not comment on what it was. An intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that the information about a US attack appeared to be centred on New York.

Hayyat said Ghailani remains in Pakistani custody.

More than a dozen others, including two South Africans, were also arrested in last week's raid.

Officials believe the group was making plans to flee Pakistan on false passports. Gujrat is a centre for document forgers and human smugglers in Pakistan.

Coded messages

The intelligence official also confirmed the arrest of a computer engineer who would send messages using code words to al-Qaeda suspects. Pakistani television reported that his name was Noor Mohammed, but the official said that was just an alias.

Ahmed would not confirm whether the information from Ghailani or the computer expert is what prompted US homeland security secretary Tom Ridge to issue a warning on Sunday about a possible al-Qaeda attack on prominent financial institutions in New York, Washington and Newark, New Jersey.

Ridge specifically thanked Pakistan for its help in the war on terror during his press conference.

Ahmed said that Pakistani forces are still acting on the information the computer expert is supplying, and that it is an ongoing investigation.

He said the investigation into Ghailani had revealed that he was training terrorists in Pakistan to commit suicide attacks.

- AP