JURIST - Paper Chase: France authorities arrest suspect connected to al Qaeda

[JURIST] French authorities said Tuesday that they have arrested a suspected terrorist alleged to have ties to al-Qaeda [JURIST news archive]. Little information has been revealed about the suspect except that he was born in Tunisia in 1977 and resided in the French city of Toulon. The nation's prosecution office [official website, in French] arrested [WP report] him last Friday on suspicion that he played a key role in providing financial supplies and assuming recruiting responsibilities for several terrorist groups including al Qaeda. He has been charged with planning terrorist acts and financing a terrorist enterprise. The prosecution office analyzed e-mails and other communications between the accused and the terrorist groups during the investigation. Anti-terrorism judge Marc Trevidic began questioning the accused in Paris Tuesday.

Authorities have been tracking down members and supporters of the al Qaeda and other terrorists groups. In June a New York native and terrorism suspect pleaded guilty [JURIST report] to charges that he provided the al Qaeda with money and computer assistance. In February Egyptian authorities reportedly arrested [JURIST report] a former al Qaeda military commander at an airport in Cairo. Saif al-Adel [Telegraph profile] was detained upon his arrival after noticing that his name appeared on the passenger list on a flight from Pakistan. During the same month, a judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky [official website] allowed [JURIST report] certain secret evidence to be used against a suspect who was charged with attempting to provide material support to terrorists and terrorist organizations and conspiracy to transfer weapons to terrorist organizations, specifically al Qaeda.