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3 Islamic Militant Suspects Back in Custody in France After Botched Arrests 3 Islamic Militant Suspects Back in Custody in France After Botched Arrests
(about 2 hours later)
PARIS — Three French citizens expelled by Turkey after they were suspected of trying to join militants in Syria were back in custody Wednesday after walking free in Marseille while the French police waited at the wrong airport, hundreds of miles away. PARIS — Three French citizens expelled by Turkey on suspicion of trying to join militants in Syria were back in custody Wednesday after walking free in Marseille while the French police waited at the wrong airport, hundreds of miles away.
The men, who turned themselves into the French authorities, had initially surrendered to the police in Turkey after leaving Syria and were due to be flown to Orly Airport, outside Paris, from Istanbul on Tuesday, according to French news reports. But after the pilot refused to take the men on the Istanbul-Paris flight because they did not have the necessary documents for their expulsion, the Turkish authorities instead put them on a flight to Marseille. The men, who turned themselves in to the French authorities, had initially surrendered to the police in Turkey after leaving Syria and were due to be flown to Orly Airport, outside Paris, from Istanbul on Tuesday, according to French news reports. But after the pilot refused to take the men on the Istanbul-Paris flight because they did not have the necessary documents for their expulsion, the Turkish authorities instead put them on a flight to Marseille.
As French intelligence officers waited to arrest them at Orly, the suspects easily passed through immigration and walked free — a development that the French defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, described as a “huge foul-up.” As French intelligence officers waited to arrest them at Orly, the suspects easily passed through immigration checkpoints at the Marseille airport and walked free — a development that the French defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, described as a “huge foul-up.”
The men were identified as Abdelouahab el Baghdadi, the 29-year-old brother-in-law of Mohamed Merah, who killed seven people, including three Jewish children, in Toulouse in 2012; Imad Jjebali, who was sentenced to prison for four years in 2009 on terrorism charges; and Gael Maurize, who was also known to French intelligence services for his possible links to a jihadist terrorist cell. The men were identified as Abdelouahab el-Baghdadi, 29, a brother-in-law of Mohamed Merah, who killed seven people, including three Jewish children, in Toulouse in 2012; Imad Jjebali, who was sentenced to prison for four years in 2009 on terrorism charges; and Gael Maurize, who was also known to French intelligence services for his possible links to a jihadist terrorist cell.
Even as the men were walking the streets of Marseille, French television, citing the Interior Ministry, announced on Tuesday that they had been arrested on the tarmac at Orly and were being questioned by the police.Even as the men were walking the streets of Marseille, French television, citing the Interior Ministry, announced on Tuesday that they had been arrested on the tarmac at Orly and were being questioned by the police.
Officials were forced to backtrack later in the day and blamed Turkey for the fiasco. The ministry said in a statement late Tuesday that the French authorities had been notified of the change of airports only after the three men had landed in France, adding that it was investigating what happened.Officials were forced to backtrack later in the day and blamed Turkey for the fiasco. The ministry said in a statement late Tuesday that the French authorities had been notified of the change of airports only after the three men had landed in France, adding that it was investigating what happened.
Le Monde reported that the three men, who had been under surveillance by the French authorities, left for Syria in February to join militants with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. But after being disappointed, they turned themselves in to Turkish border officials and demanded to be handed over to France. After three weeks of detention in an administrative center for breaching Turkish visa requirements, they were finally expelled. Le Monde reported that the three men, who had been under surveillance by the French authorities, left for Syria in February to join militants with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. But after being disappointed by the Syrian jihad, they turned themselves in to Turkish border officials and demanded to be handed over to France. After three weeks of detention in an administrative center for breaching Turkish visa requirements, they were finally expelled.
On Wednesday, Mr. Le Drian, the French defense minister, said the fault lay with Turkey. The Turkish Foreign Ministry declined to comment, saying it was still investigating the case. On Wednesday, Mr. Le Drian said the fault lay with Turkey. "Turkey’s decision to put them on another flight was particularly misguided,” he said. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment, saying it was still investigating the case.
At a time of a heightened terrorism alert in France, which last week launched airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State, the botched arrests generated both embarrassment and soul-searching. The airstrikes led the Islamic State to call for the killing of French citizens. At a time of a heightened terror alert in France, which last week launched airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State, the botched arrests generated embarrassment and soul-searching. The airstrikes led the Islamic State to call for the killing of French citizens.
The arrests also shined an light on Turkey’s role as a transit point for would-be jihadists from the West going to fight in Syria, highlighting a lack of cross-border coordination that is allowing them to slip through the cracks. Of the roughly 350 French citizens fighting in Syria, almost all crossed the Turkish border, according to Le Monde. A majority of the 180 French jihadists who have returned from Syria to France in recent months also passed through Turkey, the newspaper said. The arrests also shined a light on Turkey’s role as a transit point for would-be jihadists from the West going to fight in Syria, highlighting a lack of cross-border coordination that is allowing them to slip through the cracks. Of the roughly 350 French citizens fighting in Syria, almost all crossed the Turkish border, according to Le Monde. A majority of the 180 French jihadists who have returned from Syria to France in recent months also passed through Turkey, the newspaper said.
Christian Estrosi, a member of the opposition UMP party and the mayor of Nice, said the three men expelled by Turkey “have humiliated us and made us a laughingstock in front of the entire world" and declared that “this government is a government of incompetents.” Christian Estrosi, a member of the opposition Union for a Popular Movement party and the mayor of Nice, said the three men expelled by Turkey “have humiliated us and made us a laughingstock in front of the entire world,” and declared, “This government is a government of incompetents.”
“How can it be that we send planes to Iraq and do not properly control our borders?" Mr. Estrosi was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying. "There is war and jihad in France, just as in Iraq or Israel.”“How can it be that we send planes to Iraq and do not properly control our borders?" Mr. Estrosi was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying. "There is war and jihad in France, just as in Iraq or Israel.”
Le Monde, in an article headlined “The Incredible Non-Arrest of Three French Jihadists,” wrote, “In the language of the intelligence services, this is what is called a huge failure; in the halls of the ministry of interior, there is talk of total mayhem,” An article in Le Monde, headlined “The Story of the Incredible Non-Arrest of Three French Jihadists,” said, “In the language of the intelligence services, this is what is called a huge failure; in the halls of the Ministry of Interior, there is talk of total mayhem,”
Alain Bauer, a criminologist with the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, who also worked as an adviser to the former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on issues linked to terrorism, called the episode a “security disaster.” Alain Bauer, a criminologist with the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, who also worked as an adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, on issues linked to terrorism, called the episode a “security disaster.”
“Everybody participated in this security disaster: French intelligence which didn’t do proper verifications and technological tools which broke down,” he said. "It was caused by an accumulation of little things that have not been verified, nor controlled. And this is called the human factor.”“Everybody participated in this security disaster: French intelligence which didn’t do proper verifications and technological tools which broke down,” he said. "It was caused by an accumulation of little things that have not been verified, nor controlled. And this is called the human factor.”
Mr. Bauer also said the episode starkly illustrated the failure of Europe’s technological supports in the fight against terrorism. “They hardly work," he said, "they’re often slow, their financing is weak, and there is little intelligence sharing because they protect sources, and it weighs on the work.”Mr. Bauer also said the episode starkly illustrated the failure of Europe’s technological supports in the fight against terrorism. “They hardly work," he said, "they’re often slow, their financing is weak, and there is little intelligence sharing because they protect sources, and it weighs on the work.”