Japan ID's 12 Bin Laden Followers Inside Japan

by Selwyn Manning and news agencies

Japan's Kyodo News agency reports 12 Islamic extremists arrived in Japan in September shortly before the terrorist attacks began on the United States.

The Japanese government received information that 12 Islamic extremists, believed to be Arabs and followers of Saudi exile Osama bin Laden arrived in Japan by way of Pakistan.

The Japanese public security authorities the extremists entered Japan sometime between early September and September 10.

A foreign intelligence agency alerted the Japanese government to the extremists' presence, the National Police Agency then directed police forces across Japan to investigate. Japanese police beefed up security around US military bases, the US Embassy and other facilities.

Japanese immigration authorities are also investigating the arrivals and departures of the 12 suspected Islamic extremists at Narita, Kansai and other airports that handle international flights.

Japanese public security authorities are checking railway stations, hotels and airports to see if such foreign nationals might have come to Japan with fake passports.

On Sept 7, Kyodo News reported the US Embassy in Tokyo had warned US military installations in Japan and South Korea may become targets of terrorism.

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