- Feb 22, 2007
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When people think about terrorist I think many think about people using simple devices and everyday common items. I doubt they think much about others that might be a lot more educated like the person below. He has many papers published and is very well educated. The fact he was working with terrorist is a bit unsettling. Makes me wonder how many resources terrorist actually have. This isn't some guy who knows how to make a pipe bomb.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s...=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s...=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Oct 12, 12:19 PM EDT
Preliminary charges filed against French physicist
PARIS (AP) -- A French judicial official says preliminary charges have been filed against a physicist who works at the world's largest atom smasher and is suspected of al-Qaida links.
The 32-year-old Frenchman of Algerian origin, who works on the Large Hadron Collider, is suspected of involvement with North African group Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.
A French judicial official says preliminary charges were filed Monday for "criminal association with a terrorist enterprise." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
Under French law, filing preliminary charges gives the investigator time to pursue the inquiry before deciding whether to send a suspect for trial or drop the case.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
PARIS (AP) - A French physicist working at the world's largest atom smasher who is suspected of links to al-Qaida appeared Monday before a magistrate who will decide whether to file preliminary charges against him.
The 32-year-old Frenchman of Algerian origin, who works on the Large Hadron Collider, is suspected of involvement with Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, a North African group that targets Algerian government forces and sometimes attacks foreigners. He was arrested Thursday in France.
French judicial officials say the suspect has acknowledged that he corresponded online with the group and vaguely discussed plans for terror attacks. In line with French judicial policy, he has not been identified.
Under French law, preliminary charges mean the investigating judge has determined there is strong evidence to suggest involvement in a crime. It gives the investigator time to pursue the inquiry before deciding whether to send the suspects for trial or drop the case.
The well-educated physicist is one of more than 7,000 scientists working on the Large Hadron Collider, which straddles the border between France and Switzerland.
"This guy has a doctorate in particle physics, so he's clearly an intelligent person. It does take some intelligence, it does take some dedication to achieve qualifications at that level," said James Gillies, spokeman for the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, which operates the collider.