Bomb suspects held in Belfast

U.S. President Bill Clinton vowed to root out terrorism in Northern Ireland

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Detectives are questioning two men after a primed bomb was seized in Belfast.

It came less than 24 hours after President Bill Clinton told a crowd of 8,000 people in Belfast's new Odyssey Arena that the U.S. would pull out all the stops to "root out terrorism."

Army bomb disposal experts found 0.7 kg of Semtex in a Ford car on Thursday and security sources said an attack by dissident republicans opposed to the peace process had been foiled.

The men were detained by the Royal Ulster Constabulary's Mobile Support Unit following a tip-off and taken to a military base in Armagh.

The arrests occurred near Belfast's commercial district, but security sources said the bomb was not meant for the city centre.

The device was concealed in a plastic box inside a bag, along with a detonator and timer.

Army bomb disposal experts later carried out a controlled explosion during a three-hour operation.

Clinton to meet N. Irish leaders
December 13, 2000
Clinton to make last push for Northern Ireland peace
December 11, 2000
Three injured in N. Ireland explosion
September 18, 2000

Royal Ulster Constabulary
British Army
The White House: Clinton's visit to Ireland and the UK

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.