Stephanie Shapiro is an Atlanta, Georgia- based mum of two, whose children, Hannah, six, and Jake, four, have a rare genetic condition. She is featured in this month' s show. She writes for CNN about the challenges of raising two children with mitochondrial disease and her hopes for the future. Atlanta, Georgia ( CNN) - - Every 30 minutes, somewhere in the world a child is born who will develop a mitochondrial disease by the age of 10 ( according to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation) . I know this statement by heart.

Prior to my daughter' s birth, I had never heard of mitochondrial disease. My only vague recollection of mitochondria came from high school biology. I remembered & quot; The mighty mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. & quot; When our daughter Hannah was born, she was so perfect, at least that' s what the AGPAR scores ( a method for assessing the health of newborns) and doctors told us, even when we, her parents, knew something wasn' t quite right. It all began so simply, as the nurse calmly told my husband and me: & quot; Hannah seems a little cold; I' m going to take her down to the NICU Unit to warm her up a bit. & quot; An hour later, a doctor told us: & quot; We think Hannah has a metabolic disease, we don' t know if she will make it through the night. & quot; Hannah was less than 24 hours old.

Quickly, our world became filled with words like seizure disorder, brain atrophy, global delay, and mitochondrial disease. Determined to have a large family, and believing this couldn' t possibly happen again, 18 months later our son was born. Jake' s entrance into the world was fast and furious. . . an emergency C- Section, a & quot; blue baby. . . & quot; The cord had wrapped around his neck.

No one could tell how long he had been deprived oxygen. Just like Hannah, though, quickly came the medical terms . . . seizures, atrophy, and delay. First the doctors diagnosed him with cerebral palsy. Children are often under- diagnosed with cerebral palsy because the symptoms of that and mitochondrial diseases can be so similar. We pushed forward and later he was given the same diagnosis as his sister.

I am a carrier. I too may someday show symptoms of the disease. What makes me cry at night, however, is the thought I gave this to my children.

Mitochondria are tiny structures found in all cells in our bodies and produce most of the energy we need to function normally.

Since almost all of our body' s organs rely on mitochondria for energy, people suffering from a mitochondrial disease may have a wide variety of symptoms. There are many faces of mitochondrial disease. They are young, old, and in- between.

Some run and play, laugh and dance. Others are confined to a wheelchair and technological devices simply to sustain life.

Symptoms can start at any age: from birth till death. It is difficult to diagnose mitochondrial diseases and the only current test is a muscle biopsy.

This procedure in itself can be painful, intrusive, and expensive.

Individuals may suffer from high levels of fatigue, muscle or heart weakness, diabetes, strokes, or vision and hearing loss. Hannah and Jake' s condition is severe. Their prognosis is poor and they are not expected to live very long. They suffer from a variety of seizures, ranging in length from seconds to hours.

Hannah and Jake are non- verbal and non- ambulatory. Two years ago, they lost the ability to safely swallow; they cannot digest food at the same rate as a child their age.

They are fed through a 24- hour g- tube surgically placed in their stomach. Often they suffer from cyclic vomiting and we worry about dehydration. Their bodies are unable to self- regulate their core body temperature and we must be vigilant they are not too cold or too hot. They rely on me and my husband for their every basic need.

Although they cannot speak in words, cannot wrap their arms around me, hugging me tight, or wipe the tears I cry, they have an inner force and passion that surpasses their developmental limitations and age. When I look at Hannah and Jake, and the many other children suffering from mitochondrial disease, I do not see what they can' t do, but what they have already done. They have taught me patience, hope, strength, and grace.

Through organizations such as the my husband and I found emotional support, educational support and parents facing issues similar to ours.

We are not alone. There are too many families with stories similar to mine. I am aware my children will die some day in the near future. I have attended the funerals of far too many children. I have sat during services praying my children won' t be next.

For us, every day is a gift. Through awareness and research, I do see a day where parents will receive a diagnosis and continue to save for college rather than their child' s funeral. I pray for a cure. I hope and pray other families do not have to go through the heartache we have endured.

Currently there is no cure for mitochondrial disease. It is a nasty, progressive monster. In the five years since my family has begun this journey, I have watched research towards a cure increase, as well as awareness.

This is the proof of a better future for children and adults struggling with this disease. It is proof tomorrow can be a better day.

New York ( CNN) - - Fourteen people have been arrested as part of an ongoing operation targeting the notorious hacking collective known as Anonymous, the U.

Department of Justice and the FBI said on Tuesday. The individuals were arrested by FBI agents on charges related to their alleged involvement in a cyberattack on Pay.

Pal' s website, which has been claimed by the Anonymous group. Five additional people were arrested in Europe and two more in the United States for alleged cybercrimes, the Justice Department said in a statement. Of the additional U. S. arrests, one person is accused of exceeding his authorized access to AT& amp; T' s servers and downloading thousands of documents, applications and other files that he allegedly posted on a public file hosting site. The other was arrested on charges of intentional damage to a protected computer.

He is accused of accessing without authorization the website of the Tampa Bay Infra.

Gard, a public- private partnership for critical infrastructure protection. The U. S. arrests took place in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio.

A 16- year- old suspect was arrested in South London, the Metropolitan Police said. Four more people were arrested by the Dutch National Police Agency, according to the U. Justice Department, but it was not immediately clear where.

Additionally, authorities said they had executed more than 35 search warrants throughout in the United States, & quot; as part of an ongoing investigation into coordinated cyber attacks against major companies and organizations, & quot; the statement read. FBI agents spread out to about six locations on Long Island, in Brooklyn and in the Bronx, where they seized computers and other records, according to a federal government official, who requested anonymity, given the sensitivity of the investigation. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the parents of two teenage sons who said they had their home raided by FBI agents Tuesday told CNN their kids have not been involved in any hacking activity.

Agents arrived around 6 a. m. ET at their Long Island home, where they searched the area and interviewed family members one by one, the parents said. Both of the boys reportedly had their laptops seized. In the past, Anonymous has launched attacks on websites belonging to the Church of Scientology, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America. However, the hacker collective vaulted to worldwide fame in December, when it disabled or disrupted the websites of Master.

Card, Visa and Pay.

Pal in what the group said was retaliation for the companies' cutting ties to the website following the arrest of Julian Assange.

Assange founded Wiki. Leaks, which facilitates the release of secret information. He is currently out on bail in England and is fighting extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex crime charges.

In addition, Anonymous is suspected of being linked to cyberattacks against Sony, Fox News, the Arizona Department of Corrections and a well- known consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton, among others. The group is implicated in denial- of- service attacks, in which large amounts of traffic are directed to a website, overloading it and, in effect, shutting it down. CNN' s Dana Garrett contributed to this report.

ATLANTA, Georgia ( CNN) - - An advisory panel is recommending a major step up in protection for health workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have . The Institute of Medicine said Thursday, in recommendations requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that loose paper masks are inadequate because the workers could still breathe in the virus.

Instead, health workers should switch to N95 respirators that form an airtight seal around the nose and mouth.

If properly fitted and worn correctly, N95 respirators filter out at least 95 percent of particles as small as 0. 3 micrometers, which is smaller than influenza viruses, the report notes. The institute provides independent, evidence- based advice to policymakers, health professionals, private entities and the public. It is one of four groups that make up the National Academies. The study released Thursday was requested by the and the . & quot; Scientists do not know to what extent flu viruses spread through the air or whether infection requires physical contact with contaminated fluids or surfaces, & quot; a summary of the report says.

It calls for & quot; a boost in research to answer these questions and to design and develop better protective equipment that would enhance workers' comfort, safety and ability to do their jobs. & quot; & quot; Based on what we currently know about influenza, well- fitted N95 respirators offer health care workers the best protection against inhalation of viral particles, & quot; said committee chairman Kenneth Shine, executive vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. He is a former president of the institute. & quot; But there is a lot we still don' t know about these viruses, and it would be a mistake for anyone to rely on respirators alone as some sort of magic shield. & quot; Health care workers should use several strategies to guard against infection, such as innovative triage processes, washing hands, disinfecting, wearing gloves, getting vaccinated and using antiviral drugs, Shine said. The institute was asked specifically to evaluate personal protective equipment designed to guard against respiratory infection, and therefore the committee focused on the efficacy of medical masks and respirators. All About & bull; & bull;

If your child has knee pain during or after physical activity and it doesn' t improve with ice or rest, make an appointment with your child' s doctor. After an initial exam, your doctor may refer you to a doctor who specializes in knee injuries or sports medicine.

Here' s some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor. Below are some basic questions to ask a doctor who is examining your child for possible Osgood- Schlatter disease. If any additional questions occur to you during your visit, don' t hesitate to ask. What is the most likely cause of my child' s signs and symptoms?

Are there any other possible causes?

Are any tests needed to confirm the diagnosis?

What treatment approach do you recommend?

Do you expect my child will be able to continue in his or her current sport? Does my child need to make any changes to his or her activities, such as playing a different position or training with different exercises?

If so, for how long?

What signs or symptoms would signal a need for my child to take a complete break from athletics? What other self- care measures would help my child? Should we schedule a follow- up appointment to monitor my child' s progress? Should my child see a specialist?

Your child' s doctor is likely to ask a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to talk about in- depth. Your doctor may ask your child: What are your symptoms?

When did you first notice these symptoms? Have your symptoms been getting worse? How severe is your pain? Does your pain occur before, during or after your workouts & mdash; or is it constant? Have you noticed any swelling near your kneecap?

Have you experienced any problems with mobility or stability? What is your regular exercise or sports- training routine? Have you recently made any changes to your training routine, such as training harder or longer, or using new techniques? Are you able to tolerate the pain you experience while playing your sport at your usual intensity?

Are your symptoms affecting your ability to complete normal, daily tasks, such as walking up stairs? Have you tried any at- home treatments so far? If so, has anything helped? Have you recently had any injuries that may have caused knee damage?

Have you been diagnosed with any other medical conditions?

What medications are you currently taking, including vitamins and supplements? In the time leading up to your appointment, try self- care measures at home. Your child should avoid using the affected joint in ways that cause or worsen pain. Stretching and icing the affected area also may help.

If your child is uncomfortable, try using over- the- counter pain medications. & copy; 1998- 2011 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research ( MFMER) .

Editor' s Note: Paul Cruickshank is a fellow at the NYU Center on Law & amp; Security and the producer of a CNN & quot; World' s Untold Stories& quot; documentary on the alleged Belgian terrorist cell reported by CNN Senior International Correspondent . The program was recently nominated & quot; best documentary& quot; in the 2009 Monte Carlo Global Television Awards. ( CNN) - - European intelligence agencies are on alert for new al Qaeda terrorist plots following the arrest of two men at an Italian port and investigations into the activities of an alleged al Qaeda network based in Brussels.

The two are closely tied to a Brussels- based al Qaeda recruiting network, Belgian counter- terrorism officials have told CNN. They are Bassam Ayachi, 62, and Raphael Gendron, 33 - - and they were detained in the port of Bari on November 11 last year after allegedly trying to smuggle three Palestinians and two Syrians into Italy in the false bottom of a camper van they were driving. Now they face much more serious allegations following a counter- terrorism investigation by Italian, French and Belgian police. Italian authorities have officially charged them with being leaders of a logistical support team for al Qaeda.

A bug planted by Italian police in the suspects' detention facility picked up snatches of conversation about an alleged scheme to attack Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. A partial transcript of one of their alleged conversations has now been released. & quot; I' ll hit de Gaulle, & quot; Gendron tells Ayachi. & quot; We' ll hit it there, & quot; Ayachi replies. & quot; At night when there will be a lot of people. & quot; Later in the conversation they appear to discuss buying grenades off contacts in the Middle East.

French authorities have said that they were never aware of a concrete plot to attack the airport. Italy suspects well known to Belgian Security Services Ayachi and Gendron were detained after Italian authorities allegedly found Jihadist propaganda in their possession when they arrived on a ferry from Greece. Belgian police say they alerted Italian authorities that the pair were known extremists.

Ayachi is a naturalized French cleric of Syrian descent, and in the early 1990s had founded the Centre Islamique Belge ( CIB) , an organization Belgian authorities say espoused hard- line Salafist and pro al Qaeda views. Gendron, described by Italian police as a computer expert, was the main administrator of the CIB' s Web site in Belgium. In 2006 Gendron and Ayachi' s son Abdel Rahman Ayachi were convicted in Belgium for posting threatening anti- Semitic messages on the site.

Their prison sentences were later reduced to a fine by an Appeals court. A Belgian counter- terrorism source tells CNN that the CIB has clandestinely continued its operations in Belgium. When CNN reporters visited its headquarters on the Rue Memling in Brussels in February, Islamists appeared to still occupy the premises. In previous interviews with Belgian journalists, Avachi said his organization concentrated on pastoral care for Muslims in Brussels and did not promote pro- al Qaeda views. In April 1999 Ayachi officiated at the wedding of two prot& eacute; g& eacute; s at CIB, Abdessattar Dahmane and Malika el Aroud.

The couple would later become & quot; icons& quot; of the al Qaeda movement, according to Belgian counter- terrorism officials. Two days before 9/ 11, Dahmane assassinated Ahmed Shah Massoud, the head of the anti- Taliban Northern Alliance, in a suicide bombing operation in Afghanistan. After his death Malika el Aroud, a Belgian citizen of Moroccan descent who had accompanied him to Afghanistan, returned to Europe and founded Minbar. SOS - - a Web site promoting Bin Laden' s Jihad.

She also remarried. In a CNN interview in 2006 el Aroud demonstrated how she and her new husband Moez Garsallaoui ran the site, which contained postings of attacks on coalition troops in Iraq and translations of the speeches of al Qaeda leaders. Alleged recruitment for training in Pakistan According to Belgian police el Aroud and Garsallaoui moved to Brussels in 2007 and worked in tandem to recruit operatives to train in the tribal areas of Pakistan. El Aroud, it is alleged, inspired young men to volunteer for Jihad through her incendiary Web postings. Garsallaoui, the police say, went out to the streets to recruit people.

El Aroud was arrested last December in Brussels and charged along with five others with participation in a terrorist group. She denies the charge. El Aroud and Garsallaoui allegedly recruited six individuals in all, four from Belgium and two from France, according to legal documents obtained by CNN. Those documents include the interrogation report of one of the French recruits who traveled to Pakistan and was arrested when he returned to Europe. The recruit, who can only be named by his initials W.

O. , told French authorities that several members of their traveling group including Garsallaoui, were given explosives training by al Qaeda trainers in Pakistan' s Federally Administered tribal areas early in 2008. During the two- week course, according to the legal documents, W. O. alleged that Egyptian and Syrian instructors taught them how to assemble weapons, fire rocket launchers, and how to handle explosives. One trainer even set off a small charge of TNT in demonstration, telling them that the explosive was used to attack U.

S. convoys in Afghanistan and in suicide vests. Belgian security services went on high alert after members of the group started to return from the tribal areas in late 2008, concerned they might have been tasked to launch attacks in Europe. According to [ Belgian] counter- terrorism sources, the trigger for the Brussels arrests was an intercepted e- mail sent by one of the alleged recruits, Hicham Beyayo, in early December shortly after he returned to Belgium.

The e- mail allegedly suggested that Beyayo had been given the green light to launch an attack in Belgium. However no explosives were recovered by Belgian police, and some terrorism analysts are skeptical that an attack was imminent. Beyayo' s lawyer Christophe Marchand told CNN the email was merely & quot; tough talk& quot; to impress an ex- girlfriend. Belgian authorities continue to insist that the alleged cell was a potential national security threat.

The alleged role of Ayachi and Gendron A senior Belgian intelligence source told CNN that Ayachi and Gendron - - the two men detained in Italy - - were known to provide ideological support for members of the alleged Brussels terrorism network, but at this time were not suspected of having played a direct role in recruiting young European Muslims for training in Pakistan. Questions on their role, however, have been raised by a new revelation by Italian investigators, who allege that when they were arrested, Ayachi and Gendron were carrying the last will and testament of Beyayo, whose e- mail had caused such alarm. In the alleged will Beyayo made clear he was ready for martyrdom. & quot; When you hear of my death. . . don' t wear black and most importantly don' t display my photo, & quot; Beyayo purportedly wrote. & quot; I will emigrate to the field of Jihad to triumph for the religion of God, to defend the Muslim countries and to protect the sacred lands of the Muslims. And I will be a great help to the Mujahedeen brothers. & quot; Marchand told CNN that such a document in no way indicated that his client was preparing an attack in Europe. [ He said Beyayo had traveled to the tribal areas of Pakistan to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan, not to become an al Qaeda operative] . & quot; Writing a will was hardly unusual behavior for somebody whose aim was to go and fight jihad in Afghanistan, & quot; Marchand said.

According to Belgian counter- terrorism officials, Ayachi' s CIB and Malika el Aroud' s Web site served as focal points for many of those linked to the alleged Brussels network. The officials say that, Ayachi, Gendron, el Aroud, Garsallaoui and Beyayo belonged to a tight- knit 20- 30 strong community of militants in Brussels. CNN, through its own investigation and through Belgian legal and police sources, has identified the user names under which several of these individuals, including Gendron, Garsallaoui and Beyayo posted messages on El Aroud' s site Minbar SOS.

Continued security concerns According to Belgian counter- terrorism officials, three of the seven individuals who traveled to the Afghan- Pakistan border region in 2008 for training are still at large in the area.

Some European counter- terrorism officials believe this is a significant security concern, given the Brussels network' s track record In smuggling people into Europe. In an interview with CNN, Alain Winants, the director of Belgian Intelligence said: & quot; Every secret service will tell you that individuals who are already radicalized and who are in addition are being specialized in some fighting techniques or techniques of propaganda are representing a big risk when they come back. & quot; Those still at large, Belgian counter- terrorism sources say, include Moez Garsallaoui, ( Malika el Aroud' s husband) who they believe has developed close ties with the top leadership of al Qaeda in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Belgian counter- terrorism officials told CNN that Garsallaoui was in regular email contact from the region with his wife before her arrest last December.

According to a lawyer briefed on the legal dossier in the Belgian case, in June 2008 Garsallaoui allegedly sent el Aroud an e- mail claiming to have killed five Americans in Afghanistan. His wife congratulated him, according to the legal source.

Garsallaoui also purportedly posted messages on el Aroud' s radical Web site from the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including a message posted last September urging militants in Europe to launch attacks. & quot; The solution my brothers and sisters is not fatwas but boooooooms, & quot; the posting stated. The posting was discovered by CNN under Garsallaoui' s purported user name on the Minbar SOS Web site. Earlier this week Garsallaoui purportedly posted a new statement on Minbar.

SOS. In the message which was entitled & quot; We Need You& quot; he said he had joined up with Taliban forces who were making raids against American troops in Afghanistan from the tribal areas of Pakistan. & quot; The Jihad is going well and the Taliban are stronger than ever, they are gaining territory every day and more important than that they are winning the trust of the local population, & quot; he claimed. & quot; If you thought that you could pressure me to slow down through the arrest of my wife you were wrong. It won' t stop me fulfilling my objectives. . . those who laugh last, laugh more. & quot; All About & bull;

Editor' s Note: Paul Cruickshank is a fellow at the NYU Center on Law & amp; Security and the producer of a CNN & quot; World' s Untold Stories& quot; documentary on the alleged Belgian terrorist cell reported by CNN Senior International Correspondent . The program was recently nominated & quot; best documentary& quot; in the 2009 Monte Carlo Global Television Awards. ( CNN) - - European intelligence agencies are on alert for new al Qaeda terrorist plots following the arrest of two men at an Italian port and investigations into the activities of an alleged al Qaeda network based in Brussels.

The two are closely tied to a Brussels- based al Qaeda recruiting network, Belgian counter- terrorism officials have told CNN. They are Bassam Ayachi, 62, and Raphael Gendron, 33 - - and they were detained in the port of Bari on November 11 last year after allegedly trying to smuggle three Palestinians and two Syrians into Italy in the false bottom of a camper van they were driving. Now they face much more serious allegations following a counter- terrorism investigation by Italian, French and Belgian police. Italian authorities have officially charged them with being leaders of a logistical support team for al Qaeda.

A bug planted by Italian police in the suspects' detention facility picked up snatches of conversation about an alleged scheme to attack Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. A partial transcript of one of their alleged conversations has now been released. & quot; I' ll hit de Gaulle, & quot; Gendron tells Ayachi. & quot; We' ll hit it there, & quot; Ayachi replies. & quot; At night when there will be a lot of people. & quot; Later in the conversation they appear to discuss buying grenades off contacts in the Middle East.

French authorities have said that they were never aware of a concrete plot to attack the airport. Italy suspects well known to Belgian Security Services Ayachi and Gendron were detained after Italian authorities allegedly found Jihadist propaganda in their possession when they arrived on a ferry from Greece. Belgian police say they alerted Italian authorities that the pair were known extremists.

Ayachi is a naturalized French cleric of Syrian descent, and in the early 1990s had founded the Centre Islamique Belge ( CIB) , an organization Belgian authorities say espoused hard- line Salafist and pro al Qaeda views. Gendron, described by Italian police as a computer expert, was the main administrator of the CIB' s Web site in Belgium. In 2006 Gendron and Ayachi' s son Abdel Rahman Ayachi were convicted in Belgium for posting threatening anti- Semitic messages on the site.

Their prison sentences were later reduced to a fine by an Appeals court. A Belgian counter- terrorism source tells CNN that the CIB has clandestinely continued its operations in Belgium. When CNN reporters visited its headquarters on the Rue Memling in Brussels in February, Islamists appeared to still occupy the premises. In previous interviews with Belgian journalists, Avachi said his organization concentrated on pastoral care for Muslims in Brussels and did not promote pro- al Qaeda views. In April 1999 Ayachi officiated at the wedding of two prot& eacute; g& eacute; s at CIB, Abdessattar Dahmane and Malika el Aroud.

The couple would later become & quot; icons& quot; of the al Qaeda movement, according to Belgian counter- terrorism officials. Two days before 9/ 11, Dahmane assassinated Ahmed Shah Massoud, the head of the anti- Taliban Northern Alliance, in a suicide bombing operation in Afghanistan. After his death Malika el Aroud, a Belgian citizen of Moroccan descent who had accompanied him to Afghanistan, returned to Europe and founded Minbar. SOS - - a Web site promoting Bin Laden' s Jihad.

She also remarried. In a CNN interview in 2006 el Aroud demonstrated how she and her new husband Moez Garsallaoui ran the site, which contained postings of attacks on coalition troops in Iraq and translations of the speeches of al Qaeda leaders. Alleged recruitment for training in Pakistan According to Belgian police el Aroud and Garsallaoui moved to Brussels in 2007 and worked in tandem to recruit operatives to train in the tribal areas of Pakistan. El Aroud, it is alleged, inspired young men to volunteer for Jihad through her incendiary Web postings. Garsallaoui, the police say, went out to the streets to recruit people.

El Aroud was arrested last December in Brussels and charged along with five others with participation in a terrorist group. She denies the charge. El Aroud and Garsallaoui allegedly recruited six individuals in all, four from Belgium and two from France, according to legal documents obtained by CNN. Those documents include the interrogation report of one of the French recruits who traveled to Pakistan and was arrested when he returned to Europe. The recruit, who can only be named by his initials W.

O. , told French authorities that several members of their traveling group including Garsallaoui, were given explosives training by al Qaeda trainers in Pakistan' s Federally Administered tribal areas early in 2008. During the two- week course, according to the legal documents, W. O. alleged that Egyptian and Syrian instructors taught them how to assemble weapons, fire rocket launchers, and how to handle explosives. One trainer even set off a small charge of TNT in demonstration, telling them that the explosive was used to attack U.

S. convoys in Afghanistan and in suicide vests. Belgian security services went on high alert after members of the group started to return from the tribal areas in late 2008, concerned they might have been tasked to launch attacks in Europe. According to [ Belgian] counter- terrorism sources, the trigger for the Brussels arrests was an intercepted e- mail sent by one of the alleged recruits, Hicham Beyayo, in early December shortly after he returned to Belgium.

The e- mail allegedly suggested that Beyayo had been given the green light to launch an attack in Belgium. However no explosives were recovered by Belgian police, and some terrorism analysts are skeptical that an attack was imminent. Beyayo' s lawyer Christophe Marchand told CNN the email was merely & quot; tough talk& quot; to impress an ex- girlfriend. Belgian authorities continue to insist that the alleged cell was a potential national security threat.

The alleged role of Ayachi and Gendron A senior Belgian intelligence source told CNN that Ayachi and Gendron - - the two men detained in Italy - - were known to provide ideological support for members of the alleged Brussels terrorism network, but at this time were not suspected of having played a direct role in recruiting young European Muslims for training in Pakistan. Questions on their role, however, have been raised by a new revelation by Italian investigators, who allege that when they were arrested, Ayachi and Gendron were carrying the last will and testament of Beyayo, whose e- mail had caused such alarm. In the alleged will Beyayo made clear he was ready for martyrdom. & quot; When you hear of my death. . . don' t wear black and most importantly don' t display my photo, & quot; Beyayo purportedly wrote. & quot; I will emigrate to the field of Jihad to triumph for the religion of God, to defend the Muslim countries and to protect the sacred lands of the Muslims. And I will be a great help to the Mujahedeen brothers. & quot; Marchand told CNN that such a document in no way indicated that his client was preparing an attack in Europe. [ He said Beyayo had traveled to the tribal areas of Pakistan to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan, not to become an al Qaeda operative] . & quot; Writing a will was hardly unusual behavior for somebody whose aim was to go and fight jihad in Afghanistan, & quot; Marchand said.

According to Belgian counter- terrorism officials, Ayachi' s CIB and Malika el Aroud' s Web site served as focal points for many of those linked to the alleged Brussels network. The officials say that, Ayachi, Gendron, el Aroud, Garsallaoui and Beyayo belonged to a tight- knit 20- 30 strong community of militants in Brussels. CNN, through its own investigation and through Belgian legal and police sources, has identified the user names under which several of these individuals, including Gendron, Garsallaoui and Beyayo posted messages on El Aroud' s site Minbar SOS.

Continued security concerns According to Belgian counter- terrorism officials, three of the seven individuals who traveled to the Afghan- Pakistan border region in 2008 for training are still at large in the area.

Some European counter- terrorism officials believe this is a significant security concern, given the Brussels network' s track record In smuggling people into Europe. In an interview with CNN, Alain Winants, the director of Belgian Intelligence said: & quot; Every secret service will tell you that individuals who are already radicalized and who are in addition are being specialized in some fighting techniques or techniques of propaganda are representing a big risk when they come back. & quot; Those still at large, Belgian counter- terrorism sources say, include Moez Garsallaoui, ( Malika el Aroud' s husband) who they believe has developed close ties with the top leadership of al Qaeda in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Belgian counter- terrorism officials told CNN that Garsallaoui was in regular email contact from the region with his wife before her arrest last December.

According to a lawyer briefed on the legal dossier in the Belgian case, in June 2008 Garsallaoui allegedly sent el Aroud an e- mail claiming to have killed five Americans in Afghanistan. His wife congratulated him, according to the legal source.

Garsallaoui also purportedly posted messages on el Aroud' s radical Web site from the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including a message posted last September urging militants in Europe to launch attacks. & quot; The solution my brothers and sisters is not fatwas but boooooooms, & quot; the posting stated. The posting was discovered by CNN under Garsallaoui' s purported user name on the Minbar SOS Web site. Earlier this week Garsallaoui purportedly posted a new statement on Minbar.

SOS. In the message which was entitled & quot; We Need You& quot; he said he had joined up with Taliban forces who were making raids against American troops in Afghanistan from the tribal areas of Pakistan. & quot; The Jihad is going well and the Taliban are stronger than ever, they are gaining territory every day and more important than that they are winning the trust of the local population, & quot; he claimed. & quot; If you thought that you could pressure me to slow down through the arrest of my wife you were wrong. It won' t stop me fulfilling my objectives. . . those who laugh last, laugh more. & quot; All About & bull;