Pakistan arrested Swedes for 'Al-Qaeda ties'
ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan is investigating a Swedish man and a group of foreigners, including a Swedish woman and small child, arrested on suspicion of having ties with Al-Qaeda.
Mehdi Ghezali -- a Swedish citizen who was arrested in Afghanistan after the 2001 US-led invasion and spent two years in Guantanamo Bay -- was among the 12 foreigners arrested last month in Pakistan, a security official said Monday.
The group's members were detained at Dera Ghazi Khan, on the border between Pakistan's central Punjab and North West Frontier Province, where government troops have fought against encroaching Taliban militants.
"Authorities at the Punjab-NWFP border on August 28, arrested a group of 12 foreigners including Swedish, Turkish and Russian nationals," the official said. The group entered Pakistan from Iran, he added.
"The suspects are being questioned about their links with Al-Qaeda," the official said on condition of anonymity.
A Swedish woman with a two-and-half-year-old boy were among those arrested, who said they were Muslim preachers going to teach in South Waziristan, a known hub of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan's tribal belt.
"Police seized CDs, currency, maps, literature and other material from their possession," he said. A laptop and 10,000 dollars were also seized from one of the suspects, the official said.
The suspects were taken to Islamabad for further investigation, the official said.
Asked whether Ghezali and other foreigners held at Dera Ghazi Khan had links with Al-Qaeda, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was quoted as saying by state news agency APP that they were "all under investigation."
Dera Ghazi Khan district's police chief told AFP the foreigners had valid travel documents, but were arrested because they had entered a prohibited zone where Pakistani nuclear facilities are located.
"There were three Swedes, seven Turkish and one Russian in the group," Rizwan Akhtar said. An Iranian man was also among those detained, police said.
| • SIGN UP FOR FREE NEWSLETTER • ALL BREAKING NEWS ON TWITTER |
Last Updated (Monday, 14 September 2009 14:25)
House prices continue up in Sweden
Real estate prices swelled 4 percent during the last three month although still being below last year’s level.
Oil giants fight for licenses off Norway
A total of 44 energy groups, including StatoilHydro, Shell and ExxonMobil are fighting for oil and gas production licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Chinese Geely NOT interested in Volvo Cars
Chinese car maker Geely has withdrawn its offer to buy Ford Motor's Sweden-based Volvo Cars.
Swedish PM happy with Barroso's approval
The European parliament gave Jose Manuel Barroso a second five year term as president of the powerful European Commission.
Environment talks with US "progressing slowly"
Denmark's climate minister will travel to Washington on Thursday to convince the US Senate of the urgency of talks to clinch a deal at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.
Swedish PM: Bankers' bonus culture must stop
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said that the culture of large banking bonuses "must come to an end" as he opened a new parliamentary session.
Swede gets US life term for terror camp plot
A court in New York sentenced a Lebanese-born Swede to life imprisonment Tuesday for trying to set up a militant training camp for the Al-Qaeda network in the United States.
Volvo Cars: “The recession is over”
Volvo Cars may finally have reached the turning point as sales increased last month.
• Chinese Geely wants to buy Volvo Cars • Volvo Cars to ink €198 million loan
Volvo Cars to ink €198 million loan
Sweden-based Volvo Cars is expected to get a capital injection backed by guarantees from the Flemish government.
Sweden wants EU to lift 'snus' tobacco ban
As countries across the EU curb smoking, Sweden is fighting to get a European-wide ban lifted on 'snus,' a moist tobacco popular across Scandinavia that is sucked rather than chewed or smoked.
Bosnian Serb PM meets war criminal in Sweden
Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik will visit ex-president Biljana Plavsic in her Swedish jail.
Volvo cuts CO2 emissions to record low
Sweden-based Volvo Cars has undercut the magical 100 grams carbon dioxide limit for the first time ever.
Sweden wants Afghan conference held in Kabul
The EU would like to see a planned international conference on Afghanistan held in Kabul, Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt said.
Norway's PM Jens Stoltenberg claims victory
Norway's left-wing coalition held onto a razor-thin majority.
• Jens vs Jensen clash in Norway vote • Norway turns deaf ear to Brussels
