Feds: Arrests in Africa Link al-Qaida and Drugs

[Elmore Furth]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Three accused al-Qaida associates taken to New York on Friday are charged with plotting to ferry drugs through the Sahara desert to raise money for terror attacks -- evidence of what prosecutors say is a dangerous, growing alliance between terror chiefs and drug lords.

The arrests mark the first time U.S. authorities have captured and charged al-Qaida suspects in a drug trafficking plot in Africa.

The three suspects -- believed to be in their 30s and originally from Mali -- were arrested by local authorities in Ghana earlier this week and turned over to U.S. agents.

They arrived in the United States early Friday morning, officials said, and were ordered held without bail after a brief court appearance later in the day in which they did not enter pleas to charges of narcoterrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/18/us/politics/AP-US-Africa-Al-Qaida-Drugs.html

[Fumesucker]

1. End the drug war and put them out of business..

Could be done in a single afternoon with a few signatures..

But of course that makes sense so our government will never do it.

[FreakinDJ]

2. I don't advocate legalizing Heroine

in fact, I think it might be a Bad Idea

[Fumesucker]

4. Are you afraid you're going to run out and get some heroin if it's legal?

Why do you think everyone else would?

[Wizard777]

11. Back when drugs were legal. Most of the people that tried them. Didn't like them.

[Fumesucker]

12. About seventy five percent of American adults drink alcohol..

Alcohol is a drug.

One of the harder drugs in fact.

[Wizard777]

13. I think the word "drug" is largely misused and abused.

[Fumesucker]

14. Well it's certainly manipulated in order to exclude alcohol as a "drug"..

I should be used to it by now but I'm constantly surprised how many people that should know better who use the phrase "alcohol and drugs", like my former brother in law the physician who drinks a good bit more than is good for him but is very negative about cannabis. A forty something physician who drinks until he pukes has a problem..

[dgibby]

5. It woud be regulated, just like every other controlled substance. n.t

[Mopar151]

8. The English decided they could'nt afford our approach to H

They returned to the "registered addict" status, because they had such an increase in street crime. We should do the same, for the same reasons we repealed the Vollstead act. Trouble is, the CIA has been financing illegal/secret wars with narcodollars for more than 4 decades.

[earcandle]

3. We probably trained and paid them and will just let them lose again.

[dgibby]

6. So, are we going to wage war with Africa now?

I'm pretty sure we'll need a draft for that.:sarcasm:

[BunkerHill24]

7. We are already waging war in Africa

Obama Ordered U.S. Military Strike on Yemen Terrorists:

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/cruise-missiles-strike-yemen/story?id=9375236


U.S. Strike in Somalia Targets Terror Suspects:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030300835.html

[dgibby]

9. Yeah I know.

Sad, isn't it?

[seattle_blue]

10. For whatever reason

They've been trying to make the drugs=terrorism connection for a while now. I remember that propaganda commercial with those 20 somethings saying "I murdered a judge" " and other bits of propaganda. It was all just too strange for me. Remember that commercial?

[Gold Metal Flake]

15. If al-Quida is linked the drugs, then Al-Quida is linked to the CIA.

Well, that was easy.