Al-Qaeda/ Drug Trafficking: three men extradited to the U.S.

NEW YORK - Three suspected drug traffickers have been extradited Friday from Ghana to New York where they will have to respond to attempted establishment of a network in Africa on behalf of Al Qaeda and the FARC guerrillas, said federal prosecutors in New York.

•    Omar Issa Toure Harouna and Idriss Abderrahmane, self-proclaimed members of al-Qaeda have been arrested in Ghana last December 16 on International arrest warrant of the United States. They are accused of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to support foreign terrorist organizations, according to the statement of Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara.
  
     If convicted, they could face 20 years in prison to life imprisonment for the charge of "narco-terrorism", and up to 15 years in prison for supporting a foreign terrorist organization.
  
     The charges "illustrate the emergence of alliances between Al Qaeda and international drug trafficking networks," said Preet Bharara in the document.
  
     Prosecutors said the three men had agreed to transport cocaine through West Africa and North Africa, to raise funds to support Al Qaeda and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
  
     Between September and December, three men had telephone contact with agents of the U.S. brigade of drugs (Drug Enforcement Agency, DEA) who were posing as FARC members. Omar Issa would have then ensured that his chief Harouna Toure could facilitate their transport cocaine across North Africa.
  
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.