Authorities in Pakistan have detained twenty suspected al-Qaida operatives after computer files were discovered that contained surveillance information on five prominent financial sites in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Newark, New Jersey. Qari Saifullah Akhtari is a senior Pakistani al-Qaida operative who formerly ran one of the terrorist group's training camps in Afghanistan. He was arrested in the United Arab Emirates and has been handed over to Pakistani officials. Khaled al-Harby, a confidant of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, surrendered to authorities in Saudi Arabia.
Authorities in Manila have announced the arrest of four men from the Philippines’ southern island of Mindanao. They are said to be linked to Jemaah Islamiyah, an Islamic terrorist group with links to al-Qaida. And a major Muslim charity has been charged with helping to finance the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. A U.S. federal grand jury has returned a forty-two-count indictment against the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation and seven of its senior officers.
These law enforcement actions are helping to make the world safer, says President George W. Bush:
“We have pursued terrorists across the world, destroying their leadership and denying them sanctuaries. We are working with other governments to break up terror cells and stop planned attacks on virtually every continent. We are bringing the best technologies to bear against the threat of chemical and biological warfare. We’re doing everything we can in our power to confront the danger. We're making good progress in protecting our people and bringing our enemies to account. But one thing is certain: We'll keep our focus.”
Mr. Bush says the United States and its friends and allies will also oppose the propaganda of hatred that feeds the terrorist cause.
