United Press International - Intl. Intelligence - French media: Islamists plotting strikes:
"Islamists have acquired surface-to-air missiles to strike French or European targets. The Islamists of French and Algerian origin reportedly bought two missiles in Chechnya in 2002 and smuggled them into France via Georgia, Le Figaro newspaper reported.
The would-be terrorists allegedly aimed to strike civilian planes in France and possibly in Britain, too. The current whereabouts of the missiles appears unknown. But Le Figaro reported the information was obtained during confessions by top al-Qaida official, Adnan Muhammad Sadik, who is imprisoned in Jordan.
The allegations are being investigated by France's top counter-terrorist judge, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, the newspaper said.
According to Le Figaro, Islamists implicated in the missile plot are veterans of Afghan training camps.
Many allegedly participated in a foiled plot to bomb the Strasbourg cathedral in eastern France in 2000. They are also reportedly linked to another foiled plot targeting the Los Angeles airport in 1999. Le Figaro also reported that London's Heathrow airport was put on red alert in February 2003 for fear of a plot to strike a civilian plan with a missile. The newspaper suggested there may be a link between the missing missiles in France and the Heathrow scare." [Snippet]
