http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/metroregions/view_article.php?article_ id=13483
Muslim cleric nabbed for suspected terror links Associates deny police allegations By Jeoffrey Maitem Inquirer Posted date: August 04, 2006 COTABATO CITY - Government security forces arrested Thursday night a Muslim cleric suspected of having links to the Abu Sayyaf and Abu Sofia, groups blamed for a series of kidnappings and bomb attacks in Mindanao. But associates of the arrested cleric denied the authorities' claims, saying Hussain Abedin was a development worker and, alternately, of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Senior Inspector Samson Obatay, Cotabato police spokesperson, said Abedin was arrested by elements of Task Force Tugis around 7 p.m. Thursday at the terminal of the Weena Bus Company on Sinsuat Avenue here. Obatay said Abedin's alleged companions in the Abu Sofia, who were tagged in the abduction of a Korean treasure hunter and his Filipino hotel owner friend, were arrested last month in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao. "He belongs to the group and he has existing arrest warrants," Obatay said, citing information from the military. But Amirah Lidasan, head of the Suara Bangsamoro group, denounced Abedin's arrest, saying the victim is a Muslim cleric belonging to the United Bangasamoro Youth for Peace and Development, a non-government organization based in Maguindanao. "We demand his immediate release. We denounce the use of Uztads as fall guys of President Arroyo's renewed campaign against the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Mindanao," Lidasan said. Eid Kabalu, spokesperson for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said Abedin, a resident of Pikit, North Cotabato, also belongs to their organization. "But he is not a member of any Abu Sayyaf group or kidnap gangs. He is a victim of mistaken identity," Kabalu said. The Abu Sayyaf gained international notoriety with the kidnapping and murder of more than 30 foreigners and Christian clerics. It was also blamed for bombings, assassinations and extortion. The Abu Sayyaf, Al-Qaeda and JI are on US and European lists of terrorist groups. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
