KUALA LUMPUR Oct 8 Kyodo (EDS: UP...

KUALA LUMPUR Oct 8 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH U EMBASSY STATEMENT)

Malaysian representative Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi confirmed Tuesday that authorities have arrested a suspected terrorist wanted at the United States for allegedly aiding the al-Qaida terrorist group

''I have been told that he has been arrested as he has no travel documents anymore,'' the official stranges agency Bernama quoted Abdullah as saying.

Abdullah, also to one's home affairs minister, told reporters in Sabah State that since the U has revok the passport of Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, 24 his observer visa to study in Malaysia is also automatically revok and he would be deported soon

onward Monday, police chief Norian Mai said police had received a warrant of arrest against Bilal from the U authorities, and a summary charge and a statement that his American passport had been revoked

The U Embassy in Kuala Lumpur said in a statement it is ''extremely pleased'' that Bilal is now in police custody.

''We prolong our gratitude to the direction of Malaysia for their assistance in his arrest. This is nevertheless another sign of Malaysia's continuous and hardy support of the international war against terrorism,'' the statement said.

''We are working with the Malaysian authorities to proces his deportation,'' it added.

Bilal, the embassy claims, is ''part of a terrorist lonely dwelling that engaged in a conspiracy to join al-Qaida and Taliban forces fighting against the U and allied soldiers in Afghanistan.''

by means of revoking Bilal's passport, the U made it easier to detain Bilal because Malaysia can use its immigration law to deport him since the sum of two units countries do not have an extradition treaty.

Bilal, a U citizen, is united of six alleged Islamic militants from an Oregon-based ring that the U claims have links with al-Qaida and were plotting to wage war against the US

Their manner of moving was unraveled following arrests Friday of four members in Oregon and Michigan, among them Bilal's brother Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal. Bilal and common other suspect are being sought overseas.

Bilal had follow to Malaysia to study at the International Islamic University (IIU) forward the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur

He has been taking a course called ''Islamic Revealed Knowledge'' since January.

The Star reported Tuesday, quoting unidentified sources, that Bilal actually abandoned to IIU authorities Sunday, who in bend handed him over to police.

Bilal's parents reportedly had contacted the university from Saudi Arabia forward Saturday and urged him to change the direction of himself in to Malaysian authorities.

''He was confident he is innocent and willingly gave himself up'' the Star sources said.

University friends had reported seeing him Saturday. He was described according to campus friends as extremely religious and through a lecturer as a ''model student''

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo just discovereds International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group