U.S. forces have transported suspects recently seized from boats carrying narcotics in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf to a U.S. base in Afghanistan for interrogation amid mounting American concern about al Qaeda involvement in drug trafficking, officials said on Monday. The 10 men initially were held on U.S. ships but have been moved to a prison at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, about 25 miles north of Kabul, said a defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Defense officials said U.S. forces are seeking to determine whether the men are part of Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network, blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America. U.S. warships intercepted three small vessels called dhows in the Gulf and Arabian Sea in raids on Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, the U.S. Navy said. The vessel stopped on Dec. 15 was carrying nearly $10 million in hashish, while the other two carried what appeared to be heroin and methamphetamines, the Navy said. Full Story
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