Islamic Jihad leader lauds attack against US

Islamic Jihad official in Gaza, Abdullah Shami, yesterday praised the terrorist attack on the US declaring he was glad that it had happened.

Speaking to reporters on Channel Two he said "What happened in the US made us extremely happy even if we were not responsible for it."

On Friday, Jerusalem Police detained the Mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Ikrema Sabri for questioning for three hours on suspicions of contact with a foreign agent, travel without a permit to an enemy country, and incitement.

The allegations related to inflammatory statements he made in a sermon three weeks ago where he allegedly said that the White House will turn black, with God's help, and that America, England and Israel should be destroyed and a meeting he had last week with Hizbullah leader Hassan Nisrallah.

Sabri acknowledged that he had made statements against the US in the past but stressed that he had nothing to do with last week's terrorist attack in New York and Washington.

However he told reporters "clearly, we are against the American bias in Israel's favor."

Police waited until the end of prayers at the El Aksa mosque before taking Sabri for questioning.

Police officials said they suspected Sabri of coordinating resistance activities with Nasrallah who he met last week at a conference.

Police also detained the Mufti of Ramallah who was at the Temple Mount without the necessary permit allowing him to enter Jerusalem.

They warned him not to enter Jerusalem again.