ZAGREB, Oct 31 (Hina) - The Croatian Interior Ministry on Tuesday said it had undertaken all necessary measures following an article in Zagreb's daily "Vecernji list" of Tuesday reporting on alleged threats made by the Egyptian
terrorist organisation Gama'e Al- Islamiyya that "Croatia will burn from car bombs".
ZAGREB, Oct 31 (Hina) - The Croatian Interior Ministry on Tuesday
said it had undertaken all necessary measures following an article
in Zagreb's daily "Vecernji list" of Tuesday reporting on alleged
threats made by the Egyptian terrorist organisation Gama'e Al-
Islamiyya that "Croatia will burn from car bombs". #L#
A brief ministry statement signed by spokesman Slavko Rako failed
to mention what measures these may be.
Tuesday's issue of the Vecernji list daily relayed a statement
given by a member of the Egyptian organisation, Muhammad Shawki Al-
Islambuli, to a reporter of a Lebanese weekly Al-Bilad, threatening
that Croatia would "burn from car bombs" if Croatian authorities do
not provide them with an answer to the whereabouts of their ideology
leader Abu- Tala'at, who was, allegedly, last seen in Zagreb in
1995.
The Zagreb daily writes the terrorist organisation had then
requested of Croatian authorities to provide information about his
disappearance. When the Government failed to do so, a car bomb went
off in Rijeka in front of a police station.
"If Croatians have forgotten about the bomb in Rijeka, we haven't
forgotten the disappearance of Abu-Tala'at," Istambuli had said.
His brother Khalid killed Egyptian President Anwar As-Sadat in
1979.
Vecernji list further writes that Tala'at had, as a political
refugee, received asylum and a passport from Denmark. With his new
Danish passport, he left to Bosnia-Herzegovina via Croatia where he
was apprehended and brought before a magistrate for not reporting
residence.
When the terrorist organisation was left without a reply from
Croatian authorities on Tala'at's whereabouts, a car bomb went off
in Rijeka.
The same organisation accused Croatia for the deaths of four
Egyptians in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1996, as they had been killed by
members of the Croatian Defence council (HVO).
The Gama'a Al- Islamiyya organisation had assumed responsibility
for a suicidal attack on the Egyptian Embassy in Pakistan, multiple
murders of tourists in Egypt, and one of its leaders had been
arrested in the United States for preparing attacks on the World
Trade Centre in New York.
Due to threats, American ships no longer sail through the Suez
canal, Vecernji list writes.
(hina) lml jn