U.S. officials have taken into custody five men suspected of helping to funnel money to Al Qaeda, and spirited them out of Malawi, a senior Malawian official said Wednesday. The men, who were arrested in Malawi on Sunday, were released to U.S. authorities Tuesday night, the official said on condition of anonymity. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment. Malawian officials said the men, all foreigners, had been on the CIA’s “watch list” since Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for twin 1998 truck bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Intelligence officials said the men were suspected of using Islamic charities in the country to pay for Qaeda operations in Africa and elsewhere. Malawi’s government has refused to discuss the allegations against the five men in detail, suggesting that to do so would endanger national security. The transfer of the men to U.S. custody came as a judge ordered prosecutors to either charge the men or release them by Wednesday morning. Full Story
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