7 arrested in Ireland over Swedish cartoonist plot - 5 released

[Al-khiyal]

السلطات الإيرلندية تعتقل سبعة متهمين بينهم جزائري

أدانت الهيئة السويدية لنصرة النّبيّ والدفاع عن المقدسات الإسلامية كلّ أشكال الإرهاب والعنف والتخويف للأفراد والدول وكلّ مظاهر العداء للإسلام ورموزه ومقدساته، إثر نشر عدد من الصحف السويدية، أول أمس، كاريكاتير يظهر النّبيّ محمّد صلّى الله عليه وسلّم بصورة مهينة، وذلك بعد يوم واحد من الكشف عن مخطط لاغتيال الرسام السويدي لارش فيلكس.

دعَا الداعية الجزائري الشيخ حسان موسى، رئيس الهيئة، في بيان وصل ''الخبر'' نسخة منه، الجميع إلى التعقل وعدم تأزيم العلاقة بين مكونات المجتمع السويدي، والعمل الجاد من أجل تكريس قيم التعايش والتسامح والحوار والحرية ومنع الإساءة للرموز والمقدسات الدينية، ومبدأ مجتمع متعدد الثقافات والأعراق والأديان خدمة لاستقرار وأمن السويد.

وقد برّرت العديد من هذه المطبوعات السويدية إعادة نشرها للكاريكاتير المسيء للرّسول محمّد عليه الصّلاة والسّلام ''دعمًا لحرية التعبير''، بينما أحجمت أوسع صحف البلاد توزيعًا ''افتونبلادت'' عن النشر ورأت أن هذا ''لن يقدّم أيّ إسهام بنّاء''.

الجدير بالذكر، أنّ الرسام السويدي لارش فيلكس رسم رسمًا كاريكاتوريًا مسيئًا للنّبيّ محمّد صلّى الله عليه وسلّم عام 2007 مصحوبا بتعليقات وتحليلات مع بعض الصور المسيئة للنّبيّ الكريم صلّى الله عليه وسلّم، وتلقّى على إثرها عدة تهديدات. وكانت جماعة في العراق قد رصدت مكافأة قدرها مئة ألف دولار لمَن يأتي برأسه عام .2007
وفي ذات السياق، اعتقلت الشرطة الإيرلندية، الثلاثاء الفائت، سبعة أشخاص مسلمين بحجة الاشتباه في تورّطهم بالتّخطيط لاغتيال الرسام فيلكس. وذكرت مصادر الشرطة الإيرلندية في واترفورد وكورك، جنوب البلاد، أنّه تَمّ تنفيذ سلسلة من المداهمات واعتقلت أربعة رجال وثلاث نساء ضمن التحقيق الدولي المتعلق بمخطط مزعوم لاغتيال الرسام السويدي.

وفقًا لمصادر مطلعة على المسألة، حسب وكالة فرنس برس، فإنه من بين المعتقلين: جزائري (49 سنة) المشتبه به الرئيسي في المجموعة، وليبي وفلسطيني وكرواتي وأمريكي، من دون معرفة جنس كل واحد منهم.

[Al-khiyal]

Suspects in Swedish cartoonist case have periods of detention extended

March 12, 2010 -- Seven people being held for questioning over the alleged plot to murder a Swedish cartoonist have had their periods of detention extended at two special sittings of the District Court in Waterford. The seven were arrested in Waterford and Cork on Tuesday morning regarding an alleged conspiracy plot to murder cartoonist Lars Vilks after his 2007 portrayal of the Prophet Mohammad enraged Muslims. The images created by Mr Vilks pasted Prophet Mohammad’s head on a dog’s body. The suspects – aged from their mid-20s to mid-40s – are being held for questioning under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at stations in Waterford city, Dungarvan, Tramore and Thomastown in Co Kilkenny. Under the act, they can be held for one week.

Gardaí took a Croatian national and a U.S. national to a special sitting of the District Court at 9am yesterday in order to detain them for questioning for a further 72 hours. After the brief hearings, the suspects, one male and one female, were taken from the courthouse separately in unmarked Garda cars. On Wednesday, two women and three men were taken to the courthouse in Waterford at about 8pm to extend the period of questioning. Solicitors for the seven suspects, Brian Chesser and Charlene O’Keeffe, spoke briefly with journalists outside the courthouse on Wednesday evening. Mr Chesser said three of the suspects in court on Wednesday were Algerian, one was a Libyan and one was Palestinian.

The exclusion of the media from the hearings was the first time a new law allowing for the hearing to be in private was invoked in a high-profile case. An application that the hearing into the prolonging of the detention be heard in private was made by An Garda Síochána and the judge granted this application. It was made under section 29 of the 2009 Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act, which provides for the extension of the length of time of detention to allow for further investigation. This section of the Act, passed amidst controversy last year, provided for the first time that the judge could direct that such hearings be heard “otherwise than in public”. It also provides for the exclusion of all except “officers of the court, persons directly concerned in the proceedings, bona fide representatives of the press and such other persons as the court may permit to remain”. The judge can also direct that particular evidence be given in the absence of “every person, including the person to whom the application relates and any legal representative”, if the judge considers the nature of the evidence could prejudice the investigation.

[Al-khiyal]

Gardai link terror swoop detainees to 'Jihad Jane'

March 12, 2010 -- A Garda trawl of seized computers and documentation has established internet links between some of the seven suspects arrested here on Tuesday and 'Jihad Jane', the mastermind behind an alleged plot to murder Swedish cartoonist, Lars Vilks. Specialists from the computer unit, attached to the Garda Fraud Bureau, were last night continuing to sift through downloaded files to determine the extent of the relationship between Colleen LaRose, who referred to herself as 'Jihad Jane' in a YouTube video, and the group.

Her main contact here is believed by gardai to be a 49-year-old Algerian, who has been living here since 2000 and became a citizen in 2008. He is an Irish passport holder and currently lives in Waterford with his Kansas-born partner, who has converted to Islam. Officers believe that Ms LaRose corresponded regularly on the internet with the Algerian and interacted through him with others currently living in the State. The seven, who include three couples, can now be questioned by gardai until tomorrow evening, after special sittings of Waterford District Court on Wednesday night and yesterday morning extended their detention for three days. Gardai will have to seek the permission of the court again tomorrow if they want to question the suspects further and a decision must then be made on Monday whether to charge any of them or release them.

Investigations by the gardai have established that Ms LaRose was in the company of the Algerian and his partner in Cork and Waterford during her visit here last September. Other members of the group in contact with her were regarded as facilitators, who were prepared to provide logistical support for her. But it has not yet been determined whether the suspects had full knowledge of her alleged plot or if any of their actions constituted a breach of the law.

Inquiries have confirmed that the Libyan-born suspect arrived here in either 2000 or 2001 and was joined by his wife, a Palestinian. An Algerian couple were arrested in Ballincollig in Cork while the seventh suspect, a Croatian man, also converted to Islam while living here. The lawyer for the Croatian and the American woman said after yesterday's court sitting, which was held in-camera under amendments to the anti-gangland legislation last year, that he had argued against the garda application to extend their detention period but said it had been granted by Judge Gerard Furlong. The woman, who was wearing a burqa, and the Croatian were then taken from the court building in separate unmarked garda cars for further questioning.

The man detained in Cork during the operation on Tuesday morning is believed to have adopted an increasingly strict adherence to his faith over recent years, and has distanced himself from former Irish friends and business acquaintances. Described by neighbours as quiet, shy and polite, he had abandoned his medical studies here and focused on a business career over the past few years. Gardai said last night they were satisfied with the progress made so far in the investigation but said the next few days would be crucial as they continued to trawl through the computer files and telephone records and extend their questioning of the suspects.

Meanwhile, Ms LaRose remains in custody in Philadelphia, where she has been indicted on charges of conspiring to provide support to Islamic extremists, with whom she allegedly plotted to kill the Swedish artist. She is also charged with conspiracy to kill in a foreign country.

[Al-khiyal]

Grannarna anade inget

WATERFORD, 12 Mars 2010 -- Sharif Damache, en 49-årig algerier, gifte sig med amerikanskan Jamie Ramirez och flyttade in i ett smalt trevåningshus med 13 lägenheter i sydöstra Irland. Polisen tror att paret är länken till Jihad-Jane. I tisdags morse slog en antiterroriststyrka sönder dörren till deras bostad och grep dem. De sju personer på Irland som misstänks för inblandning i mordkomplotten mot Lars Vilks har omhäktats i domstolen i Watford i går och i onsdags. Hela området runt domstolen spärrades av inför förhandlingarna, som hölls bakom stängda dörrar. De misstänkta kördes in på området i bilar med tonade rutor utan att journalister eller nyfikna hade en chans att komma nära.

De misstänkta nekar

Som så ofta när misstänkta muslimer nuförtiden grips i västvärlden får inte advokaterna säga någonting och det lilla vi vet är vad polisen och åklagare vill att vi ska veta. – Domaren har förbjudit mig att yttra mig. Men jag kan säga så mycket som att de misstänkta nekar, sa advokat Brian Chesser, som representerar samtliga sju, till Aftonbladet efter förhandlingen. Den stränga sekretessen hindrar inte att bilden av hur polisen tror att mordplanen växte fram börjar klarna. Dataspecialister fortsatte i går att gå igenom gruppens hårddiskar och skivor. Man analyserade även datafiler de laddat ner. Kopplingen mellan Colleen LaRose, och Sharif Damache, en algerier som blev irländsk medborgare 2008, ska ha stärkts. Bland annat hade de en omfattande kommunikation innan LaRose – som kallar sig Jihad-Jane – reste till Irland för att rekrytera medhjälpare i september. Där tillbringade hon sedan två veckor med Damache och hans amerikanska fru Jamie Ramirez i Waterford och Cork.

Uppdraget: Logistik

Damache hjälpte Jihad-Jane att få kontakt med de andra i gruppen. Deras roll ska ha varit att hjälpa till med logistik inför det planerade attentatet, uppger tidningen The Independent. Polisen är ännu inte säker på om de andra i gruppen verkligen kände till hela Jihad-Janes mordkomplott. Om inte kan de komma att släppas. Sharif Damanche träffade sin amerikanska fru Jamie Ramirez på Irland. De blev kära, hon konverterade till islam och började bära huvudduk, de gifte sig. Ramirez flyttade till Irland för flera år sedan och var tidigare gift med en irländsk man i staden Cork. Paret flyttade in i den lägenhet på High street i centrala Waterford som polisen slog till mot i tisdags. – Det var ett fruktansvärt liv. Det var minst 20 poliser som sprang upp för trappan och slog in deras dörr, säger en granne. På suddiga övervakningsbilder som tidningen The Irish Sun publicerade i går syns det hur poliser griper paret. – Det var alltid tyst och lugnt i lägenheten. Men det här är ett hus där ingen känner varandra, säger grannen. En butiksinnehavare vägg i vägg, som liksom grannen inte vill ställa upp med namn och bild, säger: – Det har alltid funnits muslimer i de här kvarteren. Men de senaste månaderna har det börjat dyka upp människor som ser mer radikala ut. Män med långa skägg, kvinnor med slöja.

”Verkade inte radikal”

I lägenheten bodde även Daniel Orsos, en 26-årig kroat, som flyttade till Irland med sin mor och syster för fem år sedan. Shake Ahmed, en lokal muslimsk ledare, är förvånad: – Jag lärde känna honom för ett drygt år sedan. Han hade konverterat till islam, men verkade inte radikal. Jag har väldigt svårt att tänka mig att han kan vara inblandad i detta. Senast de träffades hade Orsos skaffat långt skägg. – Jag sa åt honom att han inte behövde det, att det viktiga för en muslimsk man var att vara ärlig. Han sa att han skulle tänka på det. Andra beskriver dock den unge kroaten, en arbetslös målare, som militant.

Utbildade sig till läkare

Vid ett annat tillslag i Waterford i tisdags morse greps libyern Abd al-Salam Mansur al Jahani och hans palestinska hustru Nadah Sameh. De bodde legalt i Irland och hade flyktingstatus. Och i Ballincollig, sex kilometer väster om Cork, greps den algeriske doktorn Ghamrassan Moulay-Slimane och hans hustru Nabahat. Mannen utbildade sig till läkare i Algeriet, men hoppade av oklara skäl av den kurs han behövde gå för att få arbeta på Irland. I stället öppnade paret, som Aftonbladet berättade i går, ett bageri.

[Al-khiyal]

[Al-khiyal]

Danijel Oršuš, Hrvat koji je planirao ubiti švedskog karikaturista

Petak, 12 ožujak 2010 -- Hrvat koji je s još šestero ljudi uhićen u Irskoj zbog planiranja ubojstva švedskog karikaturista navodno je Danijel Oršuš (26) porijeklom iz romskog naselja Stiske kraj Đurđevca. On ima status azilanta u Irskoj te je boravio u gradu Waterfordu gdje mu živi i sestra. Osim njega, uhićeni su i Alžirac Sharif Damache i njegova supruga Amerikanka Jamie Ramirez. Uhićeno je još dvoje ljudi iz Alžira, Ghamrassan Moulay-Slimane i njegova supruga Iles Moulay-Slimane te Abd Al-Salam Mansur Al Jahani iz Libije i njegova supruga Palestinka Nadah Sameh. U četvrtak su ih izveli pred suca koji im je svima produžio pritovor za još 72 sata. Irski mediji pišu kako je šefica sedmorice muslimana bila Amerikanka Colleen LaRose (46) koja se na internetu predstavljala kao Jihad Jane. Ona je sponzorirala grupu i zalagala se za njih na ekstremističkim islamskim web portalima. Neki su zatim dobili lozinke za privatne chatove ubiju na način koji će uplašiti sve nevjernike. I ona je uhićena u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama.

[Al-khiyal]

Gardaí release two in connection with plot to kill cartoonist

March 12, 2010 -- Two people being questioned by gardaí in Waterford in connection with an alleged plot to kill a Sweedish cartoonist Lars Vilks have been released from custody. The man and woman were being questioned at Dungarvan garda station since they were arrested on Tuesday. They have been released this evening and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Five others who were also arrested on Tuesday as part on the investigation into alleged death threats against Lars Vilks are still being questioned.