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| Europe |
| Zarqawi redeploying fighters to Europe in preparation for August attack |
| 2005-07-24 |
| BRITISH intelligence and security services are on high alert in preparation for terror attacks in major UK cities following the double assault on London. Emergency planners are keyed up for terror strikes in cities such as Glasgow and Birmingham. The net has also widened across the world in the hunt for those who planned and helped prepare the July 7 and July 21 attacks in London. Intelligence and security analysts believe that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an al-Qaeda chief in Iraq, has built up such a well-stocked team of fighters that he has been able to send a number of trained terrorists back to their countries of origin in recent months. The fact that Islamic terrorists have been able to sustain daily suicide attacks in Iraq while still drafting seasoned veterans out of the country for operations in Europe and the Middle East underscores the strength of the insurgency in Iraq. Prior to the London bombings, Zarqawi threatened Britain, Italy, France, Denmark and Russia. The UK and Italy were top of the hit list. Also under threat were the nations of Egypt â which was hit early yesterday morning with devastating car bombs â Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Zarqawi also warned Israel that the state was âin his sights â and very soonâ. There are major fears that the next al-Qaeda-inspired terror strike could employ some sort of dirty bomb in order to ramp up global panic. Some intelligence analysts estimate up to 1000 foreign fighters in Iraq may have been ordered back to their homelands in countries as disparate as Egypt and Britain to prepare for assaults in their own states. Zarqawiâs base is in Iraqâs western province of Anbar â an area in which he appears to operate with relative impunity. Terror cells affiliated in some way to al-Qaeda are now operating in Europe, the Middle East, north and west Africa and southeast Asia. Terrorists are believed to have established links with criminal organisations in Europe and Africa to help them move men, money, weapons and explosives. The latest warnings have given European countries still engaged in Iraq until August 15 to pull out or face âa bloody war in the service of Godâ. A statement from the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade, which claimed responsibility for the London atrocities, said: âThere will be no more messages, just actions that will be engraved on the heart of Europe ⊠these are our last words. The mujahidin, who are on the look-out, will have other words to say to your capitals.â Globally, intelligence agencies, including MI6 and the CIA, are beginning to look more and more at west Africa as the possible hide-out of some of the most wanted Islamic terrorists in the world â including those suspected of having connections to the London bombings. US and British intelligence representatives met recently with intelligence officers from Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott on July 13, shortly after the first London bombings. One theory is that the London bomb team may have received their final orders â and perhaps even their funding and explosives â from terror leaders operating the west African âfranchiseâ of al-Qaeda. Last month, Mauritaniaâs authorities seized documents they say were used by Islamic militants to âjustify terrorismâ and which gave practical tips on staging attacks. Al-Qaeda can no longer be considered the same organ isation that it was prior to the toppling of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Instead it now operates more as an exportable ideology with local terror groups affiliating themselves to Osama bin Laden. These groups act independently of bin Laden and it is unlikely he would have known much, if anything, of any planning for atrocities such as the July 7 bombings in London. West Africa is a perfect hide-out for international terrorist, given its remoteness and the fact that there are so many tribes among whom operatives can hide. The main countries in which the al-Qaeda affiliates are based include Algeria, Mali, Burkino Faso, Benin, Niger, Nigeria and Mauritania. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #21 Reference, please, to back up that contention. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-07-24 23:16 |
| #20 Interesting idea about repatriation--anyone remember Edith Cresson? She did that in the 80's and was quoted as saying Air France has enough 747's to make it happen--look where that got her? They filled the 747's up w/people in handcuffs and sent their asses home |
| Posted by: AgentProvacateur 2005-07-24 21:22 |
| #19 "oh wait, they are..." Lol! So true... |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-24 20:46 |
| #18 The article says Britain is anticipating and preparing for attacks. Gee, I wonder how they got that idea? Then it goes on about "al Zarqawri" and all the "great plans" he has for "things to do" in a lacivious, disgusting puff piece for al wutzisname, and his behalf, thank you very much. The press does the same for the Democrat party; or any other socialist pogrom their running currently. He never establishes the link between just how preparing for terrorist, yes terrorist attacks, and the al zarqawri wish list is the same thing, except that the illiberal media is schtupping for these guys anyway. The left sees violent islam as a panacea for them, because they're betting they can say "Beecoz of thee pollycees of the right, it only brings more terrizm". "So vote for us, yes, vote for us, because we'll do nothing in the face of it. But complain." Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It all depends on whether you are Spain or not. |
| Posted by: an dalusian dog 2005-07-24 20:37 |
| #17 Totally agree with your #2 .com I've thought of one place that would be worse than Glasgow - Northern Ireland. They'd have to be insane to hit there - oh wait, they are... |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2005-07-24 20:33 |
| #16 mac / Tony - I'm with you guys (in #2) about things nearing the tipping point - and what will follow. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-24 20:06 |
| #15 "Intelligence and security analysts believe that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an al-Qaeda chief in Iraq, has built up such a well-stocked team of fighters that he has been able to send a number of trained terrorists back to their countries of origin in recent months. The fact that Islamic terrorists have been able to sustain daily suicide attacks in Iraq while still drafting seasoned veterans out of the country..." Oh, puh-leeez. First it's "analysts believe" and then it's a "fact" and "seasoned veterans". More likely the Z-man is being inundated with out-of-town morons and needs to send them home before they hurt his campaign. |
| Posted by: Neutron Tom 2005-07-24 19:56 |
| #14 mac, I think that it's likely that a smaller country will start to look seriously at repatration - Holland or Denmark perhaps (my money is on Denmark). I agree with you that once this happens, other countries will follow suit. There will be shrieks from the multi-culti crowd of course, and there will almost certainly be some dhimmitude initiatives that we will find sickening, but I think it's inevitable. My take on the bombings is basically this - they're making a few orders of magnitude more UK people aware of what Islam (and multiculturalism) is all about. This is starting from a baseline that includes the contributors here, Samizdata and many other blogs. It's basically raising the awareness of the general population to what the real issues are that are facing us. The tabloids can hit millions of people over here, and the articles are not all 'Islam is the religion of peace' type stuff. The recent opinion polls of the Muslim population are not really helping them either. Another example: look at the various articles that are coming out saying that perhaps Multiculturalism isn't such a good idea - from all over the world. The next time I'm in London I'll be doing *plenty* of racial profiling, and won't hesitate to report iffy behaviour - but there *will* be more attacks, perhaps right across the UK, however the scales are falling from many eyes now. These are 'interesting times'. |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2005-07-24 19:43 |
| #13 These guys must really, REALLY, want to piss off the infidels. Not very smart. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-07-24 19:35 |
| #12 I apologize for being repetitive but it truly is just a matter of time before Western governments start massive repatriations of Muslims. The practitioners of the ROP simply aren't peaceful and they refuse to assimilate. I predict that France will, quietly, be the first to start mass expulsions and that once they begin others will follow along in their wake. Lazy and self-interested as the Euros are, they aren't suicidal. They'll get rid of the Muzzys one way or another. It will be very interesting to see what happens when the towelheads face the choice between the suitcase and the coffin. |
| Posted by: mac 2005-07-24 19:07 |
| #11 (Maybe they don't know what they want, either, of course...) |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2005-07-24 18:34 |
| #10 "Glasgow!! - my God, if there's one place in the whole of the UK that will go mad if a suicide bomber detonates there, it will be Glasgow..." Which raises a question: just exactly what is it that the Muzzies hope to achieve with these bombings, anyway? Are they trying to get the British to leave Iraq? Are they trying to trigger a massive British retaliation that will in turn trigger a violent reaction throughout the Muslim world? I can't figure out what they want. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2005-07-24 18:33 |
| #9 Glasgow!! - my God, if there's one place in the whole of the UK that will go mad if a suicide bomber detonates there, it will be Glasgow. This is one place on the mainland where the whole Northern Ireland morass is replayed out in cameo - there will be plenty of weapons available, and plenty of people who aren't afraid to use them. The repercussions on anyone that's not clearly identifiable as an ethnic Scot will not be good. |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2005-07-24 18:18 |
| #8 LOL, Shipman. As your comment so ably shows, these cretins don't really need a rational reason for their cowardice. Even BDS doesn't really explain the depths of their self-loathing. I just hope that they are not successful in taking us down to destruction with them. |
| Posted by: SR-71 2005-07-24 18:10 |
| #7 Suez and the Beatles caused the London bombings, no, wait it was Balfour and the Rites of Spring, no wait it wuz .......... and ......... |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-24 17:36 |
| #6 "Al-Qaeda ... now operates more as an exportable ideology with local terror groups affiliating themselves to Osama bin Laden." And this is made possible by the murderous, supremacist ideology known as Islam. The above quote would be more accurately written as Islamofascist terrorists operate in the shade of Moslem ideology. All local groups contribute to a war on non-Moslems known as jihad, and some groups officially affiliate themselves to Al-Qaeda. By the way, why is Zarqawi still alive? weren't there reports that the Coalition was closing in on him a few months ago? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2005-07-24 14:59 |
| #5 There have been several editorials in UK papers saying the Iraq war caused the London bombings so we have to get out before it gets worse. This article is merely an attempt to substantiate that view with 'news'. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-07-24 14:52 |
#4
Well, it's not very comforting, unless you're looking for reinforcement of the idea that it's useless to try to do anything in the first place. And these guys have already bought into the "We're All Gonna DIE!" mindset. Which is starting (starting? HA!) to irritate me. | |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2005-07-24 13:07 |
| #3 Preposterous, yet we see it again and again. Cowering and staying on the run almost non-stop from unfriendly local tribes, local government police or army personnel, and the Coalition, losing large numbers of personnel to capture and death in action, is "operating with impunity"? WTF? How do UK-born Pakistani-trained losers have anything to do with al-Anbar? How about Moroccan nutjobs in Spain? Hello? It's perfectly logical to assume that at least some terrorists survive Iraq and depart for other theaters, having picked up some valuable skills or at least confidence and seasoning in operating under pressure. But there's no "operating with impunity," and there's no reason to think the scale or nature of any such flow of personnel is material to the terror threat in Europe or elsewhere. Sheesh. Why can't people f***ing think at least a little bit, instead of parroting comforting but illogical nonsense? |
| Posted by: Verlaine in Iraq 2005-07-24 13:00 |
| #2 As if a Jihadi who goes to Iraq and hides in Sunni Arab areas, can easily manage Europe. Puh-lease! They can't really even leave a freaking Sunni area! |
| Posted by: Brett 2005-07-24 11:41 |
| #1 Algeria, Mali, Burkino Faso, Benin, Niger, Nigeria and Mauritania. Be terrible if avian flu suddenly took hold there, wouldn't it. |
| Posted by: Hupavith Gletle6588 2005-07-24 08:44 |