Qaeda militant `planned World Cup attack from Iraq`

Baghdad: A senior member of Al-Qaeda in Iraq who was arrested two weeks ago had been planning an

attack against the football World Cup in South Africa next month, an Iraqi security spokesman said. Abdullah Azzam Saleh Misfar al-Qahtani, a 30-year-old Saudi, "participated in the planning of a terrorist act in South Africa during the World Cup," said Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim Atta. He added that Qahtani, who was in charge of "security" for the terror network in Baghdad, was in contact "with the terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri to organise the plan hatched by Al-Qaeda." Zawahiri is Al-Qaeda`s number two and deputy to Osama bin Laden. Atta declined to give further details on the plan or comment on how the information was obtained. Bureau Report