Paris mosque's moderate leader was terrorist target

A MODERATE French Islamic leader was among the targets of a suspected Algerian terrorist network broken up in five European countries last week, according to French police, writes John Lichfield.

Documents seized in raids in France included copies of a previously unknown, but four-year-old fatwa against Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Paris mosque. The French newspaper Le Journal de Dimanche said a number of suspects arrested in France had admitted that they planned to assassinate Mr Boubakeur, who is accused of being an apologist for the Algerian government.

Of the 55 people arrested in France, 16 have been detained for questioning.