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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
(34 minutes later)
PARIS — Three French men suspected of joining militants in Syria were expecting to be arrested by the French police after Turkish authorities put them on flight home Tuesday. Instead, after their plane landed in the southern city of Marseilles, they walked free, while French intelligence officers waited at the wrong airport, hundreds of miles away. PARIS — Three Frenchmen suspected of joining militants in Syria were expecting to be arrested by the French police after the Turkish authorities put them on flight home on Tuesday. Instead, after their plane landed in the southern city of Marseille, they walked free while French intelligence officers waited at the wrong airport, hundreds of miles away.
After finding one police station empty, the men eventually turned themselves in on Wednesday. But not before politicians, the media, the prime minister and the defense minister decried a national security “foul-up” that has laid bare Europe’s struggle to deal with an estimated 3,000 citizens — about 930 from France — who have left to join the ranks of jihadist groups in Syria, often using Turkey as a transit point.After finding one police station empty, the men eventually turned themselves in on Wednesday. But not before politicians, the media, the prime minister and the defense minister decried a national security “foul-up” that has laid bare Europe’s struggle to deal with an estimated 3,000 citizens — about 930 from France — who have left to join the ranks of jihadist groups in Syria, often using Turkey as a transit point.
For France, the bungled security operation was particularly embarrassing and egregious. France is so fearful of French jihadists returning from Syria that last week the National Assembly approved legislation to prevent them from leaving.For France, the bungled security operation was particularly embarrassing and egregious. France is so fearful of French jihadists returning from Syria that last week the National Assembly approved legislation to prevent them from leaving.
The country has been on special alert since last week, when France launched airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and the group ordered its followers to attack French citizens. On Wednesday, a Qaeda offshoot in Algeria said it had beheaded a French hostage in retaliation for France’s participation.The country has been on special alert since last week, when France launched airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and the group ordered its followers to attack French citizens. On Wednesday, a Qaeda offshoot in Algeria said it had beheaded a French hostage in retaliation for France’s participation.
Making matters worse, all three men at the center of the mix-up this week are well known to French counterterrorism officials and have long been under surveillance.Making matters worse, all three men at the center of the mix-up this week are well known to French counterterrorism officials and have long been under surveillance.
One was 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. The others are Imad Jjebali, a childhood friend of Mr. Merah who had previously been sentenced to four years in prison in 2009 on terrorism charges, and Gael Maurize, who was also known to French intelligence services for his alleged links to a jihadi terrorist cell. One was identified as Abdelouahab el-Baghdadi, 29, a brother-in-law of Mohammed Merah, who killed seven people, including three Jewish children, in Toulouse and Montauban in 2012. The others are Imad Jjebali, a childhood friend of Mr. Merah who had previously been sentenced to four years in prison in 2009 on terrorism charges, and Gael Maurize, who was also known to the French intelligence services for his suspected links to a jihadi terrorist cell.
The three had turned themselves in to police in Turkey after leaving Syria and, after several weeks in detention, were due to be flown to Orly Airport, outside Paris, from Istanbul on Tuesday, according to Christian Etelin, who has acted as a lawyer for one of the men. After the pilot refused to take the men on his plane because they did not have the necessary documents for their expulsion, Turkish authorities instead put them on a flight to Marseilles. The three had turned themselves in to the police in Turkey after leaving Syria and, after several weeks in detention, were due to be flown to Orly Airport, outside Paris, from Istanbul on Tuesday, according to Christian Etelin, who has acted as a lawyer for one of the men. After the pilot refused to take the men on his plane 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 the three men at Orly, the three men were passing unimpeded through passport control at the Marseilles airport, before renting a car and driving away. As French intelligence officers waited to arrest the three men at Orly, the three men were passing unimpeded through passport control at the Marseille airport, before renting a car and driving away.
Even as the men were walking around at large, French television, citing the Interior Ministry, announced Tuesday that the three had been arrested on the tarmac at Orly and were being questioned by the police. Officials were later forced to recant. Even as the men were at large, French television, citing the Interior Ministry, announced on Tuesday that the three had been arrested on the tarmac at Orly and were being questioned by the police. Officials were later forced to recant.
Mr. Le Drian, the defense minister, acknowledged on France Info radio on Wednesday that the software customs officials used to check for blacklisted passports was not working at the airport in Marseilles. But he laid blame for the fiasco on Turkey, which, the Defense Ministry said, had notified French authorities of the change of airports only after the three men had landed in France. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the defense minister, acknowledged on France Info radio on Wednesday that the software customs officials used to check for blacklisted passports was not working at the airport in Marseille. But he laid blame for the fiasco on Turkey, which, the Defense Ministry said, had notified the French authorities of the change of airports only after the three men had landed in France.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Afairs declined to comment on Wednesday, saying it was still investigating.The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Afairs declined to comment on Wednesday, saying it was still investigating.
Mr. Etelin, who was Mr. Baghdadi’s lawyer until Wednesday, said the security failure was all the more remarkable since the three suspects had offered to turn themselves in to French authorities. He said by phone that the three men were astonished when they arrived in Marseilles to find no officers waiting for them. Mr. Etelin, who was Mr. Baghdadi’s lawyer until Wednesday, said the security failure was all the more remarkable since the three suspects had offered to turn themselves in to the French authorities. He said by telephone that the three men were astonished when they arrived in Marseille to find no officers waiting for them.
He said they rented a car and drove toward Toulouse, and tried to turn themselves in at a village police station, but the police were away on rounds. “Everything in this story is absurd,” he said. They eventually turned themselves in in the village of Caylar, between Toulouse and Montpellier. He said they had rented a car, drove toward Toulouse and tried to turn themselves in at a village police station, but the police were away on rounds. “Everything in this story is absurd,” he said. They eventually surrendered to the police in Le Caylar, a village northwest of Montpellier.
He said the men had left for Syria earlier this year to join the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, but were shocked by its brutality and decided to flee Syria for Turkey in July. They were captured by ISIS and jailed on suspicion of being French spies, he said, but later escaped, walking about 19 miles to the Turkish border, where they turned themselves over to Turkish border guards. It was not possible to verify his version of events. Mr. Etelin said the men had left for Syria this year to join the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, but were shocked by its brutality and decided to flee Syria for Turkey in July. They were captured by ISIS and jailed on suspicion of being French spies, he said, but later escaped, walking about 19 miles to the Turkish border, where they turned themselves over to Turkish border guards. It was not possible to verify his account.
“Like many who go to fight in Syria for jihad, they had fantasies of a Shariah state,” he said. “But they saw horrible things that repulsed them.”“Like many who go to fight in Syria for jihad, they had fantasies of a Shariah state,” he said. “But they saw horrible things that repulsed them.”
At a time of heightened alarm about terrorism in France, the mix-up has generated both embarrassment and soul-searching, while prompting calls for better coordination with Turkey. At a time of heightened alarm about terrorism in France, the episode has generated both embarrassment and soul-searching, while prompting calls for better coordination with Turkey.
The three suspected jihadists “have humiliated us and made us a laughingstock in front of the entire world, and this government is a government of incompetents,” Christian Estrosi, a member of the opposition Union for a Popular Movement party, who is mayor of Nice, told the French broadcaster LCI. “How can it be that we send planes to Iraq and do not properly control our borders?” The three suspected jihadists “have humiliated us and made us a laughingstock in front of the entire world, and this government is a government of incompetents,” Christian Estrosi, a member of the opposition Union for a Popular Movement party, who is mayor of Nice and a member of the National Assembly, told the French broadcaster LCI. “How can it be that we send planes to Iraq and do not properly control our borders?”