Page 8 - atoday

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 24 January 2017
Austrian official: suspect potentially dangerous radical

reporters that the Austrian plans he might have had
capital would remain un- appeared to have been
der increased security alert still in the planning stage.
until police were satisfied A SWAT team made the
that any threat of potential arrest after what police
attacks was banished said was a tip from a for-
“Look, instead of looking eign intelligence service.
away,” he urged Vienna The youth was not identi-
residents, calling on them fied due to Austrian priva-
to immediately report any- cy laws, but Interior Minis-
thing unusual that could be try spokesman Karl-Heinz
linked to a terrorist strike. Grundboeck said the sus-
Separately, Interior Minis- pect is believed to be in
ter Wolfgang Sobotka told contact with radical “Alba-
state broadcaster ORF that nian-Islamist” circles.
the arrested suspect — a Wolfgang Blaschitz, the
17-year-old male — has suspect’s lawyer, rejected
said he supports the Islam- suggestions that his client
ic State group. Sobotka was a dangerous radical,
Konrad Kogler Director General for Public Security in Austria speaks during a press conference described the suspect as describing him as “misled.”
about the results of the investigations after the arrest of a radical suspect in Vienna on Friday, in having a “real communi- While acknowledging that
Vienna Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. Another suspect thought linked to the Austrian is in German cus- cations network” and as the teenager was duped
tody after his arrest Saturday. someone with “weight” in into believing that “coun-
(AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
radical circles. termeasures ... through
Associated Press say might have been plan- had been in contact with At a subsequent news con- attacks or similar” were
VIENNA (AP) — Austrian ning a bomb attack. the main suspect arrested ference, Sobotka said “sev- justified in response for mis-
police urged Vienna resi- A 12-year-old boy was Friday in his Vienna apart- eral connecting lines” exist- deeds against civilians in
dents Monday to be on among those questioned. ment. Kogler said the child ed between the youth and Syria, Blaschitz said “he had
heightened alert for suspi- Briefing reporters along with is under supervision, with- other potential suspects in no attack plans.”
cious objects and activities other senior law enforce- out going into details. Austria and in Germany. Another suspect thought
as they hunted for possible ment representatives, Kon- Amid the search for sus- He said the teenager had linked to the teenager was
associates of a suspected rad Kogler, Austria’s top se- pects, Vienna Deputy Po- a “Salafistic background,” in German custody after his
Islamic radical who they curity official, said the boy lice Chief Karl Mahrer told adding that any attack detention Saturday.q
Icy, brief face-to-face meeting of Syria government, rebels

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) tween the Syrian govern- sador, whose country has stalled outside the confer- hammed Alloush equated
— Their seats remained ment and its armed oppo- supported the rebels. There ence hall.Arab TV stations between the Syrian gov-
empty for a few tense min- sition, which lasted about is not a single photo frame said the rebels registered ernment with the militants
utes after the Russia-Turkey- an hour in the freezing cold that shows the two sides to- their displeasure at being extremists of the Islamic
sponsored talks were of- Kazakh capital, Astana. gether. seated at the same oval- State group.
ficially inaugurated. Then, The two delegations sat Still, that was an achieve- shaped table as the Iranian After the closed session,
the Syrian rebel delega- opposite each other on an ment. No other internation- delegation. Tehran has sent Damascus envoy Bashar
tion finally walked into the oval table in the large gild- al meeting of the six-year thousands to Syria to fight Ja’afari called Alloush’s
room, marking what was ed room. The rebel delega- conflict has managed to alongside the government. comments “provocative”
supposed to be an ice- tion was separated from ri- bring the rivals in the same Rebel delegates said they and “insolent.”
breaking first encounter. vals by friends: on one side room. had no “talks” with govern- The two delegations later
But cold glances and sharp sat the Turkish delegation, Realizing the symbolism ment officials. Only barbs headed to separate rooms,
exchanges marred the first which backs the opposi- of the face-to-face meet- were exchanged. and proximity talks with the
face-to-face meeting be- tion and the U.S. ambas- ing, the rebel delegates Lead rebel negotiator Mo- U.N. as mediators began.q