ARRESTED BOSNIAN MAN SEEN AS SECURITY THREAT RELEASED

SARAJEVO, Dec 24 (Hina) - The naturalised citizen of Bosnia-Herzegovina of Algerian origin arrested on December 21 by Stabilisation Force (SFOR) troops in the country on suspicion of posing a threat to security, was released on Tuesday evening, the SFOR command in Sarajevo stated on Wednesday.#L# The suspect was released but the investigation continues. SFOR did not confirm the suspect's identity, but the Central Bosnia Canton Interior Ministry previously said the suspect was Mohamed Zitouni, born in Algeria in 1972. He was arrested in the central town of Travnik, where he has been living with his wife, who is a Bosnian citizen. Zitouni was granted Bosnian citizenship during the war under unclear circumstances. Shortly before his arrest, the US authorities stated that Travnik was the centre of activity of the "Vezir" organisation, believed to support terrorist activities. The US finance ministry decided to freeze any bank accounts of this organisation in the United States, and the organisation's head, Safet Durgut, was included on the US black list. Durgut dismissed accusations of links with terrorism, claiming he knew Zidouni only superficially. The President of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dragan Covic, said today that despite this case his country could not be considered a crisis spot or a haven for terrorists. "Considering the overall political and economic situation, Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of the most stable countries in the region in terms of security," Covic told reporters in Sarajevo. He said he believed that Zitouni's arrest and suspicions about the activities of "Vezir" were actually the result of joint efforts by local authorities and the international community to prevent possible incidents. (Hina) rml