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Authorities follow Reid's trail

Reid
Reid  


Brussels, Belgium (CNN) - Authorities are trying to determine where suspected shoe bomber Richard Reid was in the 24 hours before he arrived in Paris, France, where he eventually boarded a commercial flight bound for Miami, Florida.

Investigators said Reid spent 10 days in Brussels, Belgium, in early December, staying at the Dar Salam hostel in an Arab and North African neighborhood in the city.

Reid checked out of the hostel on December 15 and did not arrive in Paris until the next day. Investigators think he could have obtained the shoes or the explosives in that time.

One possibility authorities are considering is that Reid may have gone to Amsterdam, Holland, after leaving Brussels. Reid reportedly lived quietly in Amsterdam from August until December, working in restaurants.

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Dutch authorities investigate Richard Reid's stay in the Netherlands. CNN's Jim Boulden reports (December 29)

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The Amsterdam city prosecutor's office, which received a fax from the FBI Friday formally requesting its assistance in tracking Reid's movements, has taken the lead in investigating Reid's time spent here.

But investigators said they have been unable to confirm Reid was ever in Amsterdam.

A loner in Brussels

Reid apparently kept to himself during his stay in Brussels. According to those who saw him there, Reid had no visitors and no phone calls during his stay. He often drank tea in the Dar Salam's tea room and reportedly spent much of his time in an Internet cafe.

On December 5 or 6, shortly after checking into the hostel, Reid told Belgian authorities he'd lost his British passport, and was issued a new one by the British Embassy, authorities say.

Reid boarded American Airlines Flight 63 in Paris on December 22. Reid was subdued by passengers and crew when he allegedly tried to use a match to light explosives hidden in his shoes.

The plane was diverted to Boston, Massachusetts, and Reid was arrested.

Reid was denied bail Friday and is being held under suicide watch at a prison in Plymouth, Massachusetts, about 40 miles south of Boston.



 
 
 
 



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