Global Security Newswire

Two Algerian men were arrested Friday in France as part of an ongoing investigation of an Islamic terrorist cell suspected of working to develop chemical and biological weapons, the New York Times reported (see GSN, May 5).

A wave of arrests in December 2002 in Paris is believed to have disrupted the organization as it planned to bomb the Russian Embassy. The nine suspects were found to have a list of chemicals that could be used to make weapons, along with a chemical protection suit. Police also found a laboratory with equipment to make ricin and botulism toxin, the Times reported.

Authorities in Europe are concerned that Islamic militants, many with links to al-Qaeda, may be planning a major attack in Europe. Last month more than 1,000 pounds of fertilizer disappeared from a French warehouse, leading French police to conclude that someone may be building a powerful bomb (Craig Smith, New York Times, May 15).