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French Arrest of Chechen Sympathizers Foils Possible Biological Attack
French authorities believe that a recent arrest of Islamic militants with ties to rebels in the disputed Russian region of Chechnya helped to prevent a possible biological attack in France, the London Guardian reported today (see GSN, Jan. 6). Last week, eight suspects were arrested near the French city of Lyon, according to the Guardian. The eight suspects are connected to Menad Benchellali, who has been in jail since December after being arrested during an investigation into efforts by French Islamic militant groups to send recruits to fight in Chechnya. Evidence gathered during last week’s arrest made it “very plain” that an attack involving botulism or ricin was being prepared, said a French interior ministry official. The eight suspects have said that Benchellali was a chemical expert who had been trained in al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and that he had been working to produce botulism and ricin toxins, the ministry official said. The suspects also said that Benchellali had tested his chemicals on animals, the Guardian reported (Jon Henley, London Guardian, Jan. 12).
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