-News for Wed. 17 April to Fri. 19
April 2002
German Investigators Probe al-Qaida Link in Tunisia
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VOA
News 18
Apr 2002 21:09 UTC

German investigators
are looking into a possible al-Qaida link to last week's deadly blast outside a
synagogue in Tunisia.
German media,
including ZDF television, reports investigators discovered a link between a
German man briefly detained in connection with the Tunisia explosion and the
Hamburg al-Qaida cell believed to have helped plan the September 11 attacks on
the United States. Reports say investigators found the number of a man linked
to the Hamburg cell during a search of the detained man's
apartment.
German prosecutors
have not commented on the reports.
On Wednesday, German
Interior Minister Otto Schily said investigators are considering all
possibilities as to who was behind the explosion, including Osama bin Laden's
al-Qaida terrorist network. Sixteen people were killed in the explosion,
including 11 Germans.
Mr. Schily also says
there are no signs supporting Tunisia's original theory the explosion was an
accident. In a change to its position, Tunisia Tuesday announced it is now
considering the driver of the truck that exploded to be a
suspect.
Family members of the
driver, Nizar Naouar, say he was a non-practicing Muslim, casting doubts on
media claims he belonged to an Islamic extremist group.
On Tuesday, two
London-based Arab newspapers reported they had received claims of
responsibility for the Tunisian blast from a group calling itself the Islamic
Army for the Liberation of the Holy Sites.
Some information
for this report provided by AFP and AP.
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