December 29, 2006

GUANTANAMO DETAINEES RELEASED UNDER A JUDICIAL ORDER. CHANNEL TUNNEL BETWEEN BRITAIN AND FRANCE IS TARGET OF TERRORIST GROUPS. ITALIAN, MARIO SCARAMELLA, ARRESTED IN NAPLES. Further to what has been previously announced as regards the persons who were received by the concerned authorities, 28 citizens and one Saudi by birth whose parents are residing in the Kingdom, and were arrested in Guantanamo Bay, the Official Spokesman at the Ministry of Interior, General Mansour bin Sultan Al-Turki stated that after the completion of the investigation procedures and referral of these persons to the Judiciary, they received a legal judgment sentencing them to varied terms of imprisonment. "Eleven persons among them have been released under a judicial order dated 28/11/1427 AH by virtue of articles 216 and 217 of the Penal Procedures Law for completing their sentenced term during investigation. The rest of the accused persons are still under detention until the judgement becomes conclusive. On 03/12/1427 AH, the judgement became final. Therefore, the rest of 18 persons were released by virtue of articles 25 and 26 of the Imprisonment and Detention Law after meeting the necessary legal conditions," he added. "In the presence of their parents, it was explained to them that adherence to regulations and instructions will be a basic factor in getting the release of the remaining Saudi detainees abroad." The Channel tunnel has been targeted by a group terrorists aiming to cause maximum carnage during this winter, according to French and American secret services. The plan, which the French DGSE foreign intelligence service became aware of earlier this year, is revealed in a secret report to the French government on threat levels. The report indicates that the tip-off came from the American CIA. British and French intelligence agencies have run a series of checks of the security system protecting the 31-mile tunnel but the threat level, the DGSE warns, remains high. British security services remain on high alert. According to the French sources, the plan was put together in Pakistan and is being directed from there. The plotters are believed to be Western Europeans, possibly Britons of Pakistani descent. American security sources told The Observer magazine that the threat was 'sky high'. 'A successful attack on such an installation would be almost as spectacular as September 11', said one terrorist expert. 'Al-Qaeda and those they inspire are trying everything from low-level strikes to major attacks on critical infrastructure.' Police have arrested an Italian man who met with former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko the day he fell ill from poisoning, Italian news agencies have reported. Mario Scaramella was arrested in Naples after returning from London, the ANSA and Apcom agencies reported. Rome prosecutors have allegedly been investigating Mr Scaramella for violating secrets and possible arms trafficking. Mr Scaramella met with Mr Litvinenko at a London sushi bar on Nov 1, the day the former KGB agent fell ill. The Italian was later hospitalised for treatment of suspected radiation poisoning, but has since been released. Mr Litvinenko died on Nov 23.