Officials: Other co-conspirators likely tied to U.S. terrorist cells
September 15, 2002 Posted: 7:16 PM EDT (2316 GMT)
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Buffalo terror suspects
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Government sources have identified the five suspects arrested over the weekend in Buffalo, New York, as al Qaeda-trained operatives.
Al Qaeda is the terrorist organization believed to be behind the September 11th attacks.
U.S. attorney Michael Battle said of the five suspects, "We are not aware that they were awaiting any orders. What we do know is that they were trained in a camp and that camp was run by al Qaeda trainers."
Government focus is on at least three more men---known only as co-conspirators "A," "B," and "C." One in particular, government sources say, bears special watching. All three of these individuals also used to live in Lackawanna, outside Buffalo.
Like the five already in custody, co-conspirators "A" and "B" are U.S. citizens. They now live in Yemen.
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EXTRA INFORMATION
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"C" is also living outside the U.S. and is responsible for putting the government's year-long investigation of terrorist "sleeper cells" into high gear. Just last week, as Americans marked the one-year anniversary of September 11th, the FBI interviewed "C" in an unnamed country.
According to the FBI, "C" admitted that he and some of the accused trained at an al Qaeda camp last year. That led FBI agents in New York to revisit suspect Sahim Alwan on September 12th. Alwan also admitted to terrorist training. He was one of the five arrested in Buffalo this past weekend.
"What prompted these individuals to do what they did is something they're going to have to answer for," stated FBI special agent Peter Ahearn. The brother of one suspect and relatives of the others accused insist that the men received only religious training overseas, and nothing more. Aibn Mosed, brother of one suspect, said that his brother "was supposed to go over there for two months, but ended up staying only one month."
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