海角大神

French police聽arrested four suspected聽Islamist聽militants near聽Paris today as part of an investigation into the recruitment of volunteers by Al Qaeda insurgents in聽Mali, French interior minister Manuel Valls聽said.

France's intervention in聽Mali聽to rid its former colony of聽Islamist聽fighters has prompted the authorities to increase security against possible reprisal attacks on its interests in mainland聽France聽and abroad.

Anti-terrorism judge聽Marc Trevidic, who is in charge of the operation, and who is known for an independent streak among French jurists, told Reuters last month that聽France聽needed more robust local policing, better intelligence sharing and the ability to infiltrate small radical聽Islamist聽groups if it hopes to fight new security threats on its soil.

Analysts say the insurgency that seized the north of聽Mali聽is paving the way for attacks on聽France聽as more French Muslims of African origin are supposedly energized or finding a cause or grievance in the conflict.

"France聽is really being singled out at the moment," said聽Anne Giudicelli, consultant with national security specialists Terrorisc.

"It's being accused of wanting to occupy Muslim territory and that could clearly push some individuals to take action, or encourage others to build up a network," she told Reuters.

Three of the four men arrested on Tuesday were聽Franco-Congolese聽and one was Malian, according to police sources.聽

Mr. Vall, the interior minister, said the arrests had come after a long investigation into Al Qaeda recruitment rings led by Mr. Trevidic.

"There is an operation ongoing in the聽Paris聽region, conducted by the DCRI [domestic security service], which comes after the arrest of an individual a few months ago on the border between聽Mali聽and聽Niger," he told BFM TV.

That man was a聽Franco-Congolese聽social worker named Cedric Lobo, 27, who was arrested in聽Niamey, the capital of聽Niger, while trying to reach the historic Malian city of聽Timbuktu聽to join the rebel group known as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the source said.

He was subsequently extradited to聽France, where he was charged with planning attacks and remanded in custody.

'Enemy from within'

French nationals drawn to violent militant groups had a number of points in common, said Valls, who has taken a hard line on law and order and has warned that France聽is facing an "enemy from within."

"The profiles are often individuals that have had problems with the law, been involved in drug trafficking, and have sometimes converted to radical Islam either in prison, through the Internet or by travelling overseas," Valls told reporters.

French anti-terrorism judges have opened a number of preliminary investigations in the past year into individuals suspected of links to what they say are Malian terrorist cells.

Police have stopped several individuals trying to travel from聽France聽to the Sahel, Valls said. The Sahel is the vast swath of semi-arid territory stretching from聽Senegal聽in west Africa to Eritrea聽in the east - and has been identified as a base for traffickers and聽Islamist聽militants.

He said a "handful" of French nationals had already joined Al Qaeda-linked groups.

"There is no direct threat, but there are threats on the Internet, on social networks, calling on people to wage war, to attack French interests," Valls said.

France聽has tightened security in public buildings and on public transport, although it has kept its security alert level at red, signifying "probable threats", one down from the scarlet level which means "definite threats".

Highlighting the threat overseas,聽Paris聽has raised its travel warning for its citizens across the Muslim world.

The embassy in聽Tunis聽on Monday confirmed that a French school in the Tunisian capital had been sprayed with graffiti warning of reprisals after聽France's intervention in聽Mali.

Additional reporting by Nicolas Bertin, John Irish and Vicky Buffery; writing by Nicholas Vinocur and John Irish; editing by Jon Boyle.