Italy expels 2 over terror links
2009-03-22 20:16
Rome - Two North Africans suspected of links to the al-Qaeda network have been expelled from Italy, the ANSA news agency reported on Sunday, citing officials close to the inquiry.
Italy's Interior Minister Roberto Maroni ordered the expulsion of the men under the country's prevention of terrorism laws, the agency reported.
Moroccan Mohammed Essadek, 39, and Tunisian Sghaier Miri, 34, left Italy late on Saturday.
Essadek had been living in the northern Treviso region. Miri, from the Udinese region in the northeast, was considered to be one of the leaders of the local Muslim community, the agency reported.
Investigators alleged that Miri had links with members of Islamist fundamentalist groups active in Tunisia that were financed by al-Qaeda, said the agency report.