Voice of America, 21 October 1995

From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis)

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] EGYPT-CROATIA (S) BY PEYMAN PEJMAN (CAIRO)

INTRO: A MILITANT ISLAMIC GROUP HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CAR BOMB EXPLOSION IN CROATIA FRIDAY. PEYMAN PEJMAN HAS MORE ON THE STORY FROM OUR CAIRO BUREAU.

TEXT: IN A STATEMENT FAXED TO AN INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCY, THE ISLAMIC GROUP KNOWN IN ARABIC AS GAMA'A ISLAMIYE, SAID IT CARRIED OUT THE EXPLOSION, WHICH KILLED ONE PERSON AND INJURED 29 OTHERS.

CROATIAN OFFICIALS HAD SAID THEY SUSPECTED DRUG DEALERS WITH A CONNECTION TO ITALY OR SERBS MIGHT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXPLOSION.

THE ISLAMIC GROUP THREATENED TO CONTINUE ATTACKING CROATIA'S INTERESTS UNTIL ZAGREB RELEASES THE GROUP'S SPOKESMAN, TAL'AT FOUAD QASSEM, WHO THE GROUP SAYS HAS BEEN UNDER ARREST IN CROATIA SINCE SEPTEMBER 12TH.

THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT HAD CONFIRMED THAT MR. QASSEM WAS TAKEN IN FOR QUESTIONING ON IMMIGRATION CHARGES, BUT SAID HE WAS RELEASED SOMETIME BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 14TH AND SEPTEMBER 18TH.

MR. QASSEM, WHO WAS GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM IN DENMARK IN 1992, WAS APPARENTLY ON HIS WAY TO BOSNIA WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED IN ZAGREB. IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHY HE WANTED TO GO THERE. (SIGNED) NEB/PP/CB-T/BG 21-Oct-95 2:24 PM EDT (1824 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America