USA Nets 350 In Terror War

WASHINGTON, Wednesday —Investigators in the United States have arrested or detained 353 people and want to question another 392 in connection with the September 11 attacks, but with no sign they had yet caught any of the principal collaborators. US investigators deepened their probe Thursday into the September 11 terrorist onslaught on the United States as officials stepped up efforts to derail more potential attacks and police across Europe questioned a string of suspects. According to US officials, a new threat to the United States comes in the shape of hazardous materials being transported on US roads, lethal cargo that can be transformed into bombs. “Security is extremely tight on the roads,” an official with the American Trucking Association said Wednesday, following reports that 20 people had been arrested for fraudulently obtaining licenses to transport hazardous materials. “Obviously, everywhere, especially at the borders, customs officials (and) the police are on high security alert,” said the official. “Hazmats (hazardous materials) are more scrutinised than ever.” US authorities have laid the blame for the terror attacks on US soil at the feet of Saudi multimillionaire Osama bin laden and his al-Qaeda network of militants. Attorney General John Ashcroft told a Senate panel on Tuesday that federal investigators had discovered that a number of individuals with possible links to terrorist groups had sought licenses to transport hazardous materials. At least 10 people have been arrested for fraudulently obtaining commercial drivers licenses and permits to transport hazardous materials, as US authorities investigated whether terrorists planned to use dangerous chemicals to conduct further attacks on US cities. Officials said five men were arrested in Michigan, three in Washington state and another two in Missouri on Wednesday. Authorities have not publicly linked the men to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but US Attorney General John Ashcroft testified at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that there was “a clear and present danger” terrorists may be planning to use trucks carrying hazardous materials to blow up targets in US. The arrest of a Somali-born US citizen, 44-year-old Mohamed Abdi, was also seen as a prime lead. Ends