LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“They had hoped for justice and are devastated by the results.”
Attorney Nina Ginsberg,
on the families of five Virginia men convicted of terror charges in Pakistan Article, 1A‘Gift’ bomb kills Greek minister’s aide
ATHENS, Greece - A bomb disguised as a gift exploded inside the Greek law enforcement ministry Thursday night, killing a close ministerial aide in Greece’s highest profile attack in years.
Public Order Minister Michalis Chryssohoidis, who was in his office a few yards away from the blast, said the package had been intended for him.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, which killed police officer Giorgos Vassilakis, a 50-year-old father of two.
But suspicion fell on radical Greek militant groups opposed to government economic and social policies.
“I express my pain and exasperation - pain and exasperation that every Greek citizen feels over today’s terrorist attack,” Prime Minister George Papandreou said.
The groups have stepped up attacks in recent years and have been targeted in a recent police crackdown.
Although militants often carry out bombings, the vast majority involve small devices planted outside banks, foreign companies or car dealerships late at night and do not cause any injuries.
Islamic terror cell busted, China says
BEIJING - Chinese officials announced Thursday that they had broken up a cell of Islamic separatists from the restive northwest Xinjiang region.
At a news conference in Beijing, public security officials displayed photographs of knives, hatchets, bullets and homemade explosives reportedly confiscated between July and October from members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. East Turkestan is the name used by many Uighurs for Xinjiang.
Ten people were arrested, two of whom were identified as ringleaders, Abudurexiti Abulaiti, 42, and Yiming Semair, 33.
The men were said to have connections to an international terrorist who had been “dispatched from abroad” to conduct terrorist activities in Xinjiang.
The Chinese officials said the group represented the “main terrorist threats” facing the country.
The Chinese announcement elicited skepticism from human-rights advocates, who say China has a history of inflating terrorism threats to justify repression of minority groups.
10 die in attacks on Iraq police, allies
BAGHDAD - A spate of attacks targeting Iraqi security forces and their allies killed at least 10 people Thursday, half in suicide bombings in the northern city of Mosul, officials said.
The ability of insurgents to strike against Iraqi police and soldiers has raised worries about their competence as Iraq takes over its own security ahead of the planned U.S. withdrawal of combat troops by the end of August.
Fears also are high that militants will take advantage of public anger over the political deadlock after inconclusive March 7 parliamentary elections to stage more attacks and foment more instability.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will meet his main rival Ayad Allawi for a second time in coming days to discuss the political situation.
Maysoun al-Damlouji, a spokesman for Allawi’s bloc, declined to confirm the report but said both men had talked by phone Wednesday.
Car with weapons halted near G-20 site
TORONTO - Police said they made an arrest after searching a car and finding containers of gasoline and weapons near the G-20 summit site.
Police spokesman Nathalie Deschenes said Thursday that there was an array of unspecified weapons in the car.
A hazardous-materials unit was going through the car.
A chain saw, baseball bat and crossbow were found when police pulled the Hyundai Elantra over after deeming it suspicious.
A large makeshift container was strapped to the roof of the car.
Toronto police spokesman Tony Vella said there’s no evidence that it’s summit related.
Front Section, Pages 6 on 06/25/2010