A woman who published a death notice in a Finnish newspaper for one of the suspected suicide hijackers in the attacks on the World Trade Center claimed she had a warm relationship with him over the Internet.
Finland's respected daily
Helsingin Sanomat
yesterday published a death notice the woman had submitted for "Dearly beloved Mohamed El-Amir".
That name was an alias used by Mohammed Atta, a 33-year-old Egyptian who is believed to have flown one of two aircraft into the World Trade Center in New York, killing thousands.
"We had a loveable correspondence. He was very enchanting and a charming person," the woman was quoted as telling tabloid Ilta-Sanomattoday.
It said she was a 58-year-old Muslim and a citizen of Australia who had lived in Finland since 1971. The online friendship had lasted about a year.
Helsingin Sanomatsaid today it published the memorial after its own inquiries found no links to terrorism.
The death notice caused a stir in Finland, with many readers telephoning the newspaper to complain about or question its publication, the Ilta-Sanomatnewspaper said.
Finnish security police said they had looked into the case but saw no need for further investigations.