Plot To Free Al Qaeda Terror Suspect Uncovered In Belgium, 14 Arrested

Brussels, Belgium (AHN) - A failed attempt to free an al Qaeda terrorist from prison was uncovered on Friday in Belgium, leading to the arrest of 14 people. Security was heightened throughout the country specifically on transportation terminals, airports and commercial districts to protect thousands of Belgians doing their holiday shopping.

Lieve Pellens, spokeswoman for Belgium's federal prosecutors identified the prison spring target as Niza Trabelsi, a Tunisian arrested on September 2001 for planning to attack U.S. facilities. Later, in a radio interview, it turned out the facility Trabelsi referred to was a Belgian airbase, which he believed had American nuclear weapons.

Pellens said, "They were planning to use weapons and explosives to free him... These means could be employed for another use."

The added security measure seeks to protect not only Belgian nationals but also international organizations with headquarters in Brussels, including the North American Treaty Organization, European Union and multinational businesses.