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Taher Abu Sakut, 21, and Omar Abu Sakut, 20
Last update - 23:28 09/07/2008
Family of Israeli Al-Qaida suspects: They're no terrorists
By Yuval Azoulay and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents, and The Associated Press
Tags: israeli arabs, shin bet 

The Shin Bet security service has arrested two Israeli Bedouin suspected of passing strategic information to the al-Qaida terror network, a charge the men's relatives are denying.

The two Bedouin, residents of the southern village of Rahat, allegedly transferred information about Israel Defense Forces military bases and other strategic sites through the Internet, the Shin Bet said.

The two are also suspected of giving the militant network details about key Tel Aviv loactions, including the Azrieli towers and Ben Gurion International Airport, as well as other populated public places that could be used as targets in potential attacks.
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The suspects - Taher Abu Sakut, 21, and Omar Abu Sakut, 20 - were charged on Wednesday with membership in a terror organization, of aiding an enemy and of transferring information to an enemy with the intent to harm state security.

The uncle of the two Bedouin men, Suleiman Abu Sakut, said "in the end this is a mountain that will give birth to a molehill." The suspects' relatives said this was a case of two young men who were just surfing the internet.

According to the Shin Bet, Taher first established contact with al-Qaida two and a half years ago via the Internet. He also allegedly asked to be put in contact with al-Qaida members in Saudi Arabia and Iraq to encourage them to execute terror attacks in Israel.

Omar was also allegedly recruited for these activities, but the security service named Taher as the main suspect in the case.

It was apparently the first time that Israeli security forces have arrested any citizens for alleged cooperation with al-Qaida.

The men were arrested at the end of May and beginning of June, the Shin Bet statement said.

There is no known al-Qaida presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, though Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have both expressed concern about the group trying to enter the Palestinian areas.

While there are several shadowy hardline Muslim groups in the Gaza Strip that have claimed responsibility for attacking Christians, bombing coffee shops and internet cafes because of their perceived Western influence, they do not belong to the global extremist network.

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      1.   aiding the devil 16:56  |  Shmuelshachor 09/07/08
      2.   how did Al Queida contact them?? 16:56  |  shmuel 09/07/08
      3.   I GUESS THE DUMMIES GIVING OUT ISRAELI INFORMATIONS THINK THEY.. 17:05  |  glenna 09/07/08
      4.   Natalie Durson 18:17  |  Steve 09/07/08
      5.   How old are you SHMUEL in Jerusalem, go and read the article 18:22  |  Pervert 09/07/08
      6.   Spys 18:35  |  Gregor 09/07/08
      7.   #4 Steve 18:42  |  Iskander 09/07/08
      8.   these guys don`t look the sharpest 18:55  |  yoyo 09/07/08
      9.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 19:01  |  Big Sur 09/07/08
      10.   Probably they told Al Qaida that Israel exists. 19:02  |  Andreas 09/07/08
      11.   So shin bet didnt beat them to death like the other two bedouin 20:01  |  Palestinian in UK 09/07/08
      12.   i am thinking... 20:06  |  kel 09/07/08
      13.   Palestinian in UK 20:19  |  mark hammond 09/07/08
      14.   Steve in Brooklyn 20:28  |  Guy From NYC 09/07/08
      15.   The Arab citizens of Israel. 20:43  |  Jean Van Daem 09/07/08
      16.   disrupted 20:48  |  Quds 09/07/08
      17.   #4 steve 20:58  |  bashar 09/07/08
      18.   to Glenna, no. 3 21:03  |  Sam C 09/07/08
      19.   Israeli Arabs arrested 21:05  |  Sam C 09/07/08
      20.   guy from new york 21:16  |  Connie 09/07/08
      21.   Of course Natalie Durson won`t post 21:24  |  Richard S 09/07/08
      22.   Sam C and his reasoning to discriminate against arabs 21:24  |  Guy From NYC 09/07/08
      23.   Steve C 21:24  |  Dave Duncan 09/07/08
      24.   wasting your time, steve 21:25  |  ross 09/07/08
      25.   bashar 21:26  |  Connie 09/07/08
      26.   natalie durson and bashar 21:32  |  steve nadel 09/07/08
      27.   # 12 Moron, bedoin or shmodouin is better dead in any case 21:34  |  misha 09/07/08
      28.   Connie from wherever 21:34  |  Guy From NYC 09/07/08
      29.   bashar 21:42  |  Dan 09/07/08
      30.   Rahat is a city with 45000 people, can you update Haaretz!!!!!!!! 21:43  |  Susu 09/07/08
      31.   MANY ISRAELI ARABS A THREAT! 21:47  |  Andreas 09/07/08
      32.   Natlie Durson 21:49  |  Steve 09/07/08
      33.   It`s about time 21:49  |  Colin Wright 09/07/08
      34.   The question is... 21:52  |  Natallie Durson 09/07/08
      35.   End Arab fifth column in Israel 22:02  |  Baruch Gold 09/07/08
      36.   guy from new york 22:08  |  Connie 09/07/08
      37.   Connie and Sam, I wouldn`t bother responding to the guy from NYC 22:11  |  Freethinker 09/07/08
      38.   # 15 Jean van Daem 22:13  |  David 09/07/08
      39.   big lies 22:15  |  jhon 09/07/08
      40.   #4 Steve 22:24  |  Jon 09/07/08
      41.   To Baruch Gold 22:29  |  Jose Marcio 09/07/08
      42.   #Guy from NYC 22:29  |  Jon 09/07/08
      43.   Gregor # 6 22:34  |  Michael Brown 09/07/08
      44.   PALin UK Lynching prisoners is your specialityas is honor killing 22:35  |  PETER SM 09/07/08
      45.   Key locations.... 22:38  |  Mike Friedman 09/07/08
      46.   WRIGHT.How do YOU know what they have or haven`t been looking for 22:43  |  PETER SM 09/07/08
      47.   Oh gosh... So in case I may tell where... 22:44  |  Dutch Dirk 09/07/08
      48.   #45 Google maps 22:49  |  Jon 09/07/08
      49.   And still no death sentence? 22:53  |  Arie 09/07/08
      50.   Connie the part time American 23:12  |  Guy From NYC 09/07/08
      51.   How that can be? they are kids, so block all danger webs for kids 23:15  |  Slaam 09/07/08
      52.   #8 yoyo 23:16  |  Jim 09/07/08
      53.   Rahat is a wonderful Bedouin city! No way, they are innocents, 23:18  |  Islam 09/07/08
      54.   Rahat is a lovely town, it is an inventon of the Shabak! 23:20  |  Rana 09/07/08
      55.   DDRK.Save yourself the trouble,go visit your"brothers"in Arabstan 23:28  |  PETER SM 09/07/08
      56.   to Steve in Brooklyn re Natalie Durson 23:41  |  Hilda 09/07/08
      57.   #41 Jose Marco 23:46  |  Jim 09/07/08
      58.   Bedouin in Israel 23:59  |  Slibovitz 09/07/08
      59.   STEVE #4 00:07  |  judith 10/07/08
      60.   ever heard about google earth idiots :) 00:13  |  Ali 10/07/08
      61.   faux terrorists.. 00:16  |  Edithann 10/07/08
      62.   The Zionist Bogeyman 00:17  |  Dovy 10/07/08
      63.   Bedouins deserve better from Israel 00:20  |  Baruch Gold 10/07/08
      64.   there should be a third palestinan state 00:30  |  teflon moslem 10/07/08
      65.   DURSON and all. 00:32  |  JOJO 10/07/08
      66.   I am the one who pays clickfool and Durson bu they do not always 00:44  |  G-D 10/07/08
      67.   They are innocent until proven guilty 01:24  |  Rami 10/07/08
      68.   Nice YouTube video re Azrieli Towers. 01:28  |  Maureen Ann 10/07/08
      69.   25 connie 01:38  |  bashar 10/07/08
      70.   26 steve... 01:42  |  bashar 10/07/08
      71.   #29 dan of LA