Nouakchott links the coupe attempt to al-Zarqawi
Mauritania, Politics, 8/12/2004

The authorities in Mauritania yesterday detained the leader of an Islamic opposition over suspicion of being involved in the coupe attempt which Nouakchott said that opposition Islamists and army officers were planning for.

The authorities linked between the planners of the coupe and the threats made by one of the "Islamists" groups in one of its sites on the Internet on July 29 to Nouakchott because of its relations with Israel.

In its statement on the Internet, the group which called itself " the Jihad - Tawhid group, Omar al-Mukhtar groups " said " we will attack with an iron fist all hireling Arab governments which deal with the Zionists in open or in secret."

The statement in particular mentioned Libya and Mauritania and threatened to attack the government in Mauritania which it said it meets " with Zionists in front of TV cameras." The defense minister in Mauritanian, Baba Weld Seidi, told journalists that there is a link between this threat which he said that the presumed leader in al-Qaida organization Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is behind and the coupe plan, in addition to the formation of a new opposition front abroad.

The police in Nouakchott yesterday detained the Islamic opposition member Muhammad Jamil Weld Mansour before his release and broke into his house over suspicion of his involvement in the coupe attempt.

Previous Stories:
  Mauritania government issues the first statement over the coupe attempt; News on releasing senior detainees, detaining others   (8/11/2004)
  20 officers held in Mauritanian, doubts in the story of the coupe   (8/10/2004)
  FM hails Morocco's good offices between Mauritania, Libya   (8/6/2004)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search