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Danish cartoons 'plotters' held Danish cartoons 'plotters' held
(30 minutes later)
Danish police have arrested several people suspected of planning to attack a cartoonist who drew controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. Danish police have arrested five people suspected of planning to attack a cartoonist who drew caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
Denmark's intelligence agency (Pet) said the arrests were made in the Aarhus region at 0430 (0330 GMT) "to prevent a murder linked to terrorism".Denmark's intelligence agency (Pet) said the arrests were made in the Aarhus region at 0430 (0330 GMT) "to prevent a murder linked to terrorism".
The agency said the detentions were made "after lengthy surveillance". Three of those detained were Danes and the other two were foreigners.
The pictures in Denmark's biggest daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 sparked a worldwide furore.The pictures in Denmark's biggest daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 sparked a worldwide furore.
Pet did not indicate how many people had been detained, nor their identities or nationalities. Muslims regard any visual representation of Muhammad as blasphemous.
The agency did not identify the target of the alleged plot, but the online edition of Jyllands-Posten said its cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard, was the focus. 'Concrete plans'
The newspaper, based in Aarhus, said Mr Westergaard, 73, and his wife Gitte had been provided heavy police protection for the past three months. The intelligence agency said the detentions were made "after lengthy surveillance".
Mr Westergaard was one of 12 cartoonists behind the drawings which triggered a wave of violent protests. I have turned fear into anger and resentment Kurt WestergaardCartoonist
He drew what was considered the most controversial of the cartoons, featuring the head of Islam's holiest prophet with a turban depicting a bomb with a lit fuse. It did not identify the target of the alleged plot, but the online edition of Jyllands-Posten said its cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard, was the focus.
The newspaper, based in Aarhus, said Mr Westergaard, 73, and his 66-year-old wife, Gitte, had been under police protection for the past three months.
In a statement on Jyllands-Posten's website, Mr Westergaard said: "Of course I fear for my life when the police intelligence service say that some people have concrete plans to kill me.
"But I have turned fear into anger and resentment."
The BBC's Thomas Buch-Andersen in Copenhagen says the arrests have stunned people in Denmark, where the controversy over the cartoons was thought to have passed.
Mr Westergaard was one of 12 artists behind the drawings but he was responsible for what was considered the most controversial of the pictures.
The caricature featured the head of Islam's holiest prophet with a turban depicting a bomb with a lit fuse.
The cartoons were later reprinted by more than 60 newspapers, triggering a wave of deadly protests in parts of the Muslim world.
The demonstrations culminated a year ago with the torching of Danish diplomatic offices in Damascus and Beirut and dozens of deaths in Nigeria, Libya and Pakistan.