Two Men Arrested in Amsterdam on Suspicion of Planning Terror Attack
VOA Lauren Comiteau | Amsterdam 31 August 2010
Two men flying from the United States to Holland are being questioned by Dutch investigators on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack. The men were flying from Chicago to Amsterdam when American officials found cell phones, knives and watches in one of their suitcases.
Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al-Soofi and Hezam al-Murisi were arrested at Amsterdam's Schipol airport, Monday. The men, thought to be of Yemeni origin, are being held for questioning at the request of American authorities.
U.S. airport security found suspicious-looking items in one of the men's luggage, including a cell phone taped to a medicine bottle, three knives and a box cutter and watches also taped together. Al-Soofi was carrying $7,000 in cash.
American homeland security officials say those items are not, in and of themselves, dangerous. But when the men changed flights and al-Soofi was not on board the same plane as his luggage, suspicions were raised.
American officials are saying the incident could be a "dry run" for a terror attack. The United airlines plane landed safely in Amsterdam and there was an air marshal aboard.
Dutch authorities are saying little, except that the two men have not yet been charged. They are not expected to appear in court for several days.
The men are being questioned in the Netherlands. The disputed luggage, though, remains in U.S. custody.
Dutch Say 2 Yemenis Suspected of Plotting Terrorist Attack
Dutch authorities say two Yemeni men arrested after taking a flight to Amsterdam from the United States are suspected of conspiring to commit a terrorist act.
The men were taken into custody Sunday night after arriving on a United Airlines flight from Chicago with suspicious items in their luggage.
They have been identified as Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al-Soofi and Hezam al-Murisi.
Officials believe the men may have been on a so-called “dry run” practice mission for a terrorist attack. ABCNews said they have been charged in the case, but there has been no official confirmation of this.
Authorities at an airport in the southern U.S. city of Birmingham, Alabama found taped cellphones and watches in al-Soofi’s luggage, along with $7,000 in cash. He was cleared to fly to Chicago because he was not breaking any laws.
He and al-Murisi were supposed to fly from there to Washington, D.C, then on to Amsterdam. But U.S. authorities became suspicious when the pair changed their travel plans to fly directly to the Dutch capital. Officials there were alerted and U.S. air marshals were put on board the flight to Amsterdam.
One cellphone was taped to a bottle of over-the-counter antacid medication. The luggage also contained more cellphones and several watches taped together.
Reports say al-Soofi lives in the midwestern U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan.
The White House said neither of the men was on the “no-fly” terror watch list.
Some information in this story was provided by AP.
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