ABU DHABI Ñ Kuwait has captured an Al Qaida cell within
its military, and authorities said the terrorist organization is attempting to infiltrate the militaries in other Gulf states as well.
Officials said Kuwaiti authorities have arrested at least three members
of the cell. They said the cell planned a sabotage campaign throughout the
sheikdom and was linked to Mohsen Fadli, a senior Al Qaida operative. They
said Fadli had close ties to Islamic clerics in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
and planned a major attack on Americans in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
The Al Qaida cell was said to have been led by Fadli, who received help
from three Kuwaiti military personnel, Middle East Newsline reported. Officials said two of them worked in
the Interior Ministry and the other in the Defense Ministry.
One of the arrested officers was identified as Adel Bouhmeid, who was
discharged two years ago from the military. Officials said Bouhmeid had
visited Afghanistan several times and transferred money to Islamic
insurgents linked to Al Qaida.
An Interior Ministry source said the ring was connected to Al Qaida and
planned to attack key installations in Kuwait. The source said authorities
believe there are other members of the Al Qaida ring still on the loose and
suggested that the investigation of the episode would take a long time.
Al Qaida has infiltrated the militaries of several other
Gulf Cooperation Council states. On Oct. 12, Qatari security forces arrested
scores of soldiers, officers and clerics linked to Al Qaida who alleged to
have plotted to torpedo the pro-U.S. policies of Emir Hamad.
On Monday, Saudi authorities acknowledged an attack on a security
installation near Riyad by at least one gunman. The suspect, identified as
Mohammed Al Salim, was wanted by Saudi authorities and was captured in a
shootout on Saturday. Islamic sources said he was one of 50 Al Qaida members
meeting in a home south of Riyad.
Last month, a U.S. soldier was killed by Kuwaiti insurgents linked to Al
Qaida. Fifteen Kuwaitis have been charged with being involved in the attack.
Agents from the FBI and CIA have been in Kuwait helping the sheikdom
bolster security amid a military exercise. They have been advising Kuwaiti
troops and security forces on the protection of an exercise in northern
Kuwait that
began last week.
