Islamic Group Linked to Terrorists Banned
Germany banned an Islamic organization it accused of being a breeding ground for terrorists, exercising new legal powers granted after revelations the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were plotted by Arabs living in Germany.
Interior Minister Otto Schily said the crackdown, announced ahead of talks in Berlin with U.S. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft, could lead to the expulsion of many extremists who have been granted asylum in Germany.
No direct links have been established between the group, known as the Caliphate State, and the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S., Schily said at a news conference.
But German investigators say some members of the group traveled to Afghanistan in 1996 or 1997 to meet with supporters of Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the attacks in the U.S.
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