Morocco

Morocco's security services have broken up a militant network that sent volunteers to carry out suicide bombings for al Qaeda in Iraq, and arrested 24 of its members, the official news agency MAP reported on Sept. 23. The group was working with militants in Sweden, Belgium, Syria and Iraq and was recruiting candidates to join al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan and Somalia, MAP quoted the Interior Ministry as saying in a statement. It said the network had sent 20 volunteers to Iraq and was in the process of recruiting 10 more Moroccan Islamists. The group was also planning large attacks in Morocco and intended to meet al Qaeda members to learn from their bomb-making expertise, MAP said. (Reuters)