June 30, 2004
By Sherrie Gossett
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
Officials with the FBI and the U.S. Embassy in Panama said this evening they could not confirm an Agence France-Presse report stating a member of al-Qaida had targeted the Panama Canal.
Officials at both agencies said they were not aware of the allegations until contacted by WND.
Today AFP reported Leonel Sauceda, spokesman for Honduras Security Minister Oscar Alvarez, confirmed comments the minister made to local media, that the "38-year-old suspect" – identified as Adnan Guishar El Shukrijumah, or Jafar al-Tayar – was in Honduras late last month and "planned to plant explosives in the Panama Canal to hamper boat traffic in the area."
Alvarez's remarks were published in the daily La Tribuna today, along with photos of the suspect.
El Shukrijumah is wanted in connection with possible terrorist threats against the United States.
The U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to his capture. FBI records give the suspect’s birthdate as Aug. 4, 1975, making him 29 years of age.
El Shukrijumah speaks English and is said to carry a Guyanese passport, but according to the FBI, could attempt to enter the U.S. with a Saudi, Canadian, or Trinidadian passport.
At the time of this report, Security Minister Oscar Alvarez could not be reached for comment. It has not been made clear whether others were implicated by the Honduran government, what interrupted the alleged plot or where El Shukrijumah is thought to be at present.
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