Danish police arrest man over kidnap incitement

Danish police yesterday arrested a man they say was inciting others to kidnap Danish citizens abroad in order to force Denmark to release two Muslims arrested in September on suspicion of plotting a bomb attack.

The 22-year-old man is a Danish citizen of Turkish origin living in Copenhagen.

In September, Danish police arrested eight young Muslims on suspicion of plotting a bomb attack and having links with al Qaeda. Six were later released, but two men are still in custody under anti-terror laws passed after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US.

The man arrested yesterday has connections to the two still in detention, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service said. He will appear in court today.

Police warned of a risk of "terror acts aimed specifically at Danes in countries where al Qaeda-related networks are known to operate, including Turkey, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan." Terror experts say Denmark is a target for extremists because of its military involvement in Iraq - which was largely ended this year - and Afghanistan, along with last year's crisis over cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammed.