Counter-Terrorism: Major Jail Break Foiled In France

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June 6, 2010: French police arrested fourteen people for planning to break an Islamic terrorist (Smain Ait Ali Belkacem) out of prison. Belkacem was sentenced to life in prison in 2002, for carrying out the bombing of a Paris subway station in 1995 (which wounded 30 people.) Belkacem, an Algerian, was something of a hero to Islamic radicals, who have long talked about freeing him.

At the same time, French police also arrested twelve Islamic radicals and charged them with recruiting local Moslems to fight in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Such operations are common throughout Europe, and are even found in North America. These groups also raise money for Islamic terror groups, either through criminal scams, or by soliciting donations for Islamic charities.