AN UNKNOWN NUMBER of suspects, believed to be in various stages of planning terrorist attacks against civilian targets, including Americans, at sites in Europe and the Middle East, have been detained in the sweep.
 
U.S. sources report the program is a “roundup of the usual suspects,” meant primarily as a precautionary measure. In most cases, the suspects are generally known to authorities and have been under long-term surveillance on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks. Some of those apprehended by local authorities could be “potentially significant,” said one U.S. government official, who added that people are being “rolled up” every few days.
 
Unless specific evidence is found and charges are filed, most of those caught up in this latest sweep will likely be held until Jan. 7 — the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.
 
Sources tell NBC News that the wide-scale roundup began quietly almost two weeks ago, shortly after police broke up a terrorist ring in Jordan. Members of that group reportedly have direct ties to suspected international terrorist Osama bin Laden — and are also believed linked to this new series of arrests.
 
In addition, the number of arrests in Jordan has now risen to 60, up from the original 13 who are accused of plotting several terrorist attacks on New Year’s Eve in Jordan.
 
The arrests of the original group in Jordan led to the arrest in Pakistan of two individuals, including one believed by U.S. officials to be a lieutenant to bin Laden. That bin Laden associate has since been deported to Jordan from Pakistan.