'Al Qaeda' suspect in court & Dutch terror suspect arrested.

Northern Ireland's first suspected Al Qaeda terrorist was allegedly uncovered by police who had initially been inquiring after his "welfare".

However, the 25 computer discs at the centre of the case, allegedly containing terrorist material, may, or may not be the same 25 discs taken from his flat.

The 27-year-old alleged terrorist Abbas Bourtrab is on trial before a Belfast Crown Court non jury Diplock Court denying charges of possessing and collecting in formation "for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism".

Boutrab, also charged under three other aliases, also denies, having and using a doctored Italian passport and handling a stolen Nokia phone.

The Algerian who claimed to be a "drifter" but refused to deny any connection with any "Al Qaeda network" during interview, was initially visited by detectives from the PSNI`s Foreign Nationals` Unit on April 8 2003.

Trial judge Mr Justice Weatherup heard police first went to a `complex` at Whitehouse Court, Shore Road, Whithouse on the outsirkts of Belfast, housing several foreign nationals, to check on their "welfare" following an attack in the area on a foreigner.

A detective from the specialist unit, whose duties also include the registration and monitoring of nationals from "42 different countries who pose a threat to the UK", said that after the visit it was discovered Boutrab looked similar to a Garda wanted poster.

The poster, bearing the name of Yocef Djafari, one of Boutrab`s alleged aliases, had been issued in connection with an alleged stabbing in the Republic of Ireland.

On April 15, in support of immigration officers, detectives returned to Boutrab`s flat which was searched and he arrested under immigration legislation on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant.

During the search 25 computer discs were seized, which the prosecution claim were later found to contain details of how to construct a device to bomb an aircraft, how to smuggle the bomb onboard, and how to make a silencer from simple household items such metal tubing, a pot scourer and rubber door stops.

However, under cross examination by defence QC Frank O`Donaghue, the detective sergeant in charge of the unit, admitted he could not be certain the 25 computer discs allegedly containing the information were the same discs taken from Boutrab`s flat.

The sergeant also revealled that although he had taken the discs to London for investigation by the "security services", they had not bothered to examine them, and that it was he and one of his officers who later uncovered some of the alleged terrorist material on computer discs.

The detective said they "hadn`t a notion" what the discs initially contained and because the PSNI hadn`t "the capacity" to check them it was decided to take them to the security services in London.

The discs taken from Boutrab`s flat were handed over in an unsealed brown paper bag to the security services who returned 25 discs in a brown paper bag to the sergeant the following morning.

Asked why he hadn`t "kicked up a stink" when told the secret services hadn`t even examined the discs, the sergeant replied: "I did not think it was up to me to
question the secret services".

Mr O`Donaghue: "You were sent back to Ireland with a bag of computer discs with no way of knowing that they were the computer discs that you handed in?"

"Yes," replied the detective sergeant, who further admitted that, "are procedures were very sloppy" at that time.

Pressed again by Mr O`Donaghue: "these discs could be completely different, or could have been altered in a substantial way and we would be none the wiser?" the detective replied: "That`s correct".

The trial continues tomorrow (wed) when it is expected that FBI agents will give evidence as to what they discovered on some of the computer discs allegedly taken from Boutrab`s flat.

And heres a story about some mad Dutchman! www.tristatenews.com/article_5830.stm/

Dutchman Indicted for Conspiring to Kill Americans in Iraq
By Pat Camuso
Sep 13, 2005, 11:09am

WASHINGTON, D.C. - An Iraqi-born Dutch citizen has been indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C. for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to attack Americans based in Iraq. These are the first U.S. criminal charges connected to terrorist activities in Iraq.

The indictment charges 32-year-old Wesam Al Delaema, a/k/a Wesam Khalaf Chayed Delaeme, with six counts: conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens abroad; conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives); conspiracy to maliciously damage or destroy U.S. government property by means of an explosive; possession of a destructive device (explosives) during a crime of violence; conspiracy to possess a destructive device (explosives) during a crime of violence; and teaching or demonstrating the making or use of an explosive with the intent to further a crime of violence. A criminal complaint had previously been filed against Delaema on July 27, 2005, charging four of these offenses.

Delaema was arrested by Dutch law enforcement authorities on May 2, 2005 and is facing similar charges in that country. Since his arrest, Dutch law enforcement and prosecution authorities have worked cooperatively with the FBI in its investigation of Delaema’s alleged terrorist activities.

Following the filing of the U.S. criminal complaint, Delaema was transferred into extradition custody in response to a request from the United States.

The indictment alleges that Delaema traveled from the Netherlands to Iraq in October 2003 and met up with a group of co-conspirators calling themselves the “Mujahideen from Fallujah,” who declared their intentions to kill Americans in Iraq using explosives.

The indictment further charges that Delaema and his co-conspirators hid explosives in a road in the area of Fallujah.

If convicted, Delaema faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

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