Police detain Palestinian terror suspect
Police are investigating possible links between a 32-year-old Palestinian man, arrested in the northern Athens suburb of Penteli on Saturday, and the Fatah al-Islam militant Islamist group, sources said on Monday.
The arrest of Galeb Taleb came just a few hours after the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera identified him as a member of the group, which has alleged terrorist links. The newspaper claimed that Taleb was planning a terrorist attack in Greece or in another country in the region.
A police spokesperson told Kathimerini that there are no indications that Taleb had been planning a terrorist attack, but that nothing has been ruled out.
Taleb has been in Greece since December 2008 after entering the country illegally via the Turkish land border, police said, adding that the suspect had lodged an application for political asylum, which was rejected, and is now awaiting the outcome of his appeal.
Another Palestinian national, 28-year-old Mohammed Moussa, who Corriere della Sera identified as Taleb’s predecessor, is also in Greek police custody. He also entered Greece illegally via Turkey in December 2008, police said.
