Two American brothers were arrested for possible links to terrorism, a Philippine official said Monday. Michael Ray Stubbs and his brother James, a convert to Islam, have been held at an undisclosed location since they were arrested earlier this month 21 miles southwest of Manila, an immigration intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.
More converts to the R.O.P. arrested, what a surprise.
The official said the brothers were of Middle Eastern origin but gave no other details. It was not clear what charges they could face or why authorities believe they may be linked to terrorism. The two were to be brought before the media on Tuesday, when more information was expected.
I’d wager it involves explosives, money or both.
It was also not known where they were from in the United States.
Additional from Australian Broadcasting:
Philippines authorities are reported to have arrested two foreign nationals suspected of being members of the Jemaah Islamiyah network. The AFP news agency, quoting Philippine military intelligence officials, named the two suspects as brothers James and Michael Ray Stubbs. James Stubbs is also known as Jamil Daoud Mujahid. AFP says the suspects were caught in a joint operation in the town of Tanza, south of Manila last week. Philippine authorities are determining if the men are Jordanians or Americans of Yemenese descent.
Additional reports say they are Jordanian and are undergoing "tactical interogation". One brother is on the US watchlist for al-Qaida connections. |