ABU DHABI — Kuwait has captured what officials termed a leading Al
Qaida operative.
Officials said authorities have arrested Mohsen Al Fadli, a leading
supporter of Osama Bin Laden. They said Al Fadli was accused of recruiting
Kuwaiti youngsters to fight against the U.S.-led coalition in neighboring
Iraq.
[On Monday, Kuwaiti officials said the sheikdom has lowered its alert
level imposed in late December 2004 amid threat of an Al Qaida attack.
Officials said the capture of Al Fadli and other suspected insurgents led to
the decision to end the high alert by the military and security forces.]
Al Fadli, 24, was said to have been captured over the last week after a
search that began in August 2004. Officials said the interrogation of Al
Fadli could take another month.
The search for Al Fadli began in mid-2004 when Kuwaiti authorities
discovered and broke up an Al Qaida network. The network was said to have
recruited, trained and sent high school and university students to Iraq. The
youngsters were said to have entered Iraq via Syria.
Officials said the United States helped in the investigation of Al
Fadli. They said Washington provided information on Al Fadli and other
Kuwaiti nationals who recruited volunteers to fight the coalition in Iraq.
