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Paris 'plot' chemicals studied
PARIS, France -- Experts are studying chemicals found during the arrest of four suspected Islamic militants in a Paris suburb. Two bottles containing suspicious liquids were found by police as they arrested the men in connection with a suspected plot to carry out terror attacks during the Christmas and New Year holidays. A protective suit for use against chemical or biological arms was also discovered during Monday's raid in the northern Paris suburb of La Courneuve. French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy told parliament the suspects were thought to have spent time in Chechnya and that one had links with Rabah Kadre, one of three North Africans held in Britain on terror-related charges. "Even before we know the precise results of the analyses (on the products seized), it was better to arrest them before rather than wait until after," Sarkozy told parliament. He said false identity papers and large sums of cash had also been found. Police sources told Reuters news agency they had yet to draw conclusions on what kind of operation, if any, was being planned and hoped to know more when results of the chemical tests were available later. Sarkozy said three Algerians and a Moroccan were arrested as part of the operation by anti-terrorist judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere. He gave no details on the suspects' time spent in Chechnya, where a separatist conflict with Russia is seen as a training ground for Muslim militants. Nor did the minister elaborate on the relationship of one of them with Kadre. Kadre, 35, and two others have been charged with "possession of articles for the preparation, instigation and commission of terrorism acts." France can hold terror suspects for questioning for up to four days, after which they must either be released or placed under formal investigation. France has launched several raids in recent weeks to hunt down Islamist militants amid fears the al Qaeda network and other groups were planning attacks in the run-up to Christmas. Police arrested a group of people in the Paris suburbs in November in connection with the so-called shoebomber, Richard Reid, a British man who attempted to blow up a transatlantic flight last year with explosives in his shoes. Reuters contributed to this report.
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