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Arrest is made in Iowa Man sought in terrorist probe caught in Cedar Rapids By The Associated Press

09/29/2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cedar Rapids, Ia. - A man sought in a federal terrorism investigation was arrested Friday in Cedar Rapids.

Youssef Hmimssa was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Michigan. An FBI release shows Hmimssa has as many as three aliases.

One of those aliases appeared on documents agents said were seized during a search for a man on the FBI's watch list. The name of Michael Saisa was on a false visa, identification form and immigration form found during a Sept. 17 raid in Detroit, court records showed.

Hmimssa remained in the Linn County Jail Friday night after being arrested by Secret Service agents.

Chuck Hall, resident agent for the Secret Service in Des Moines, declined comment. He said the United States attorney's office would be releasing more information today.

Linn County Sheriff Donald Zeller said Hmimssa was brought into the jail about 5:40 p.m.

Zeller said he did not know the address where Hmimssa was arrested. He said federal authorities only told him Hmimssa's name and the charges he was being held on.

Local authorities have been kept apprised of the investigation and concerns related to the investigation, such as the possible use of crop-dusting airplanes, he said.

"I don't think they will know until they do more investigating as to what this individual was doing here," Zeller said.

He said his office has been aware of the potential for terrorist attacks because of the nature of the local industry.

"The difference for us, is we have - what I feel to be - some potential for something like that to happen," Zeller said.

He cited the nuclear power plant in the county, the Quaker Oats factory and Rockwell Collins, which makes equipment for airplanes.

"I don't know if these things make us more vulnerable," Zeller said.

Federal authorities in Detroit plan to seek Hmimssa's extradition to Michigan.

Hmimssa made an initial appearance before Federal Judge Michael Malloy on Friday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

Scott Jennings, agent in charge for the FBI office in Cedar Rapids, said Hmimssa will make another appearance at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Cedar Rapids.

Jennings released no details.

Hmimssa also was wanted under the name of Patrick J. Vuillaume by the Secret Service in Chicago on false identification and fraud charges, an FBI release said.

Also named in the indictment were Karim Koubriti, 23, and Ahmed Hannan, 33, who were arrested during the raid in Detroit. Federal agents went to the home in search of another man, Nabil Al-Marabh.

The indictment charges the three with fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents; and fraud in connection with identity documents and information.

Hannan and Koubriti pleaded innocent to the charges Friday. A pretrial hearing was set for Tuesday. Their attorneys said they planned to appeal last week's detention order.

Hannan's attorney James Thomas said he thought his client was "having a hard time."

The charges each carry 25 years in prison, he said.

While raiding the Detroit home, authorities found a planner with Arabic writing that gave information about an American base in Turkey, the "American foreign minister" and Alia Airport in Jordan, according to court documents.

The FBI also said it seized documents, including false visas, passports and other documents. The men were described as resident aliens from Morocco and Algeria.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino said Koubriti told officials that the fake documents came from a man called Jalali who used to live with them.

Koubriti said that man created fake passports, green cards and visas, Convertino said.

The indictment listed Jalali as an alias for Hmimssa.

According to an FBI affidavit, Koubriti told agents of the false documents minutes after they started their search. Koubriti said then that he didn't know where Saisa was, but that he was asked to hold the documents for him.

A third man was arrested during the Sept. 17 raid, Farouk Ali-Haimoud, 21. He was not named in the indictment.

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2001

Answers

This is a little too close to home. I grew up in Cedar Rapids and my client is based there AND my daughter and grandkids live there.

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2001

I know what you mean, Beckie. I don't like the fact that those terrorists lived for so long in our community here in Florida.

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2001

They're bloody everywhere, aren't they?

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2001