AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - January 26, 2003
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, January 26, 2003
TEXT:
Last week we began a two part series on The Algerian Connection by reviewing the early origins of terrorism and political violence in Algeria. This week, Part II reviews the international connections that have emerged over the last several years. Given news of the arrests in Spain, this is timely coverage. Other news of the week from around the world is in the News Highlights.
We are also pleased to highlight a research paper from one of our readers, Maelien Shipman. The paper ?Abu Sayyaf: Analysis of Open Source Information? is available in the Browse Topics/Terrorist Groups section of the web site, or you can link to it at:
https://terrorismcentral.com/Library/terroristgroups/AbuSayyafGroup/ABUSAYYAFAnalysis.html
1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Narco-terrorism
13. Transportation
14. Weapons of Mass Destruction
15. Recently Published
FEATURE ARTICLE:
The Algerian Connection (Part I)
Nik Gowing asks, ?Is the War on Iraq a Good Idea?? after a week in which we?ve seen:
?...some of the biggest ever antiwar demonstrations -- ever -- around the world; after opinion polls have been turning against President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and after Germany and France have joined Russia and China in distancing themselves from any rush to war. Indeed they may block it at the United Nations.?
This ?Agenda? broadcast (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/agenda.shtml/) is part of extensive coverage on the conflict with Iraq. For an extraordinary range of opinions and depth of information look at the special ?In Depth? section online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2002/conflict_with_iraq. Also look for the series of programs being broadcast across BBC news services with live streaming. Details at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2692411.stm
While the world waits for the UN weapons inspectors report next week, the issue of North Korea seems mysteriously to have been relegated to the back burner.
Korea is not the only issue of disarmament. Last week, the Conference on Disarmament opened, with calls to revitalize the efforts after years of stalled talks and broken agreements. North Korea is continuing with the renewal of its nuclear program, ignoring pleas from its allies and the US insistence that this is an issue for the UN. Things are at an impasse while the US refuses to enter into direct discussions.
The UN also hosted a Security Council meeting on terrorism, calling for urgent action for all states to become a party to the relevant international conventions and protocols; help in the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of acts of terrorism; and cooperating to implement fully the sanctions.
World leaders have gathered for the Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Although the theme of the meeting is ?building trust? in the wake of unprecedented corporate scandals, the potential economic impact of a war in Iraq will also be covered. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Porto Alegre Brazil is hosting the World Social Forum.
A moving investigation published in the Boston Globe, January 26, describes those lost to preventable illnesses -- 8.8 million last year. Eight reporters and photographers traveled around the world to witness these deaths. They ?tell the stories of people who were dying by the thousands -- of how they died, and why, and how they could have been saved if there had not been such maddening barriers to simple health care.? You can see an interactive version at http://www.boston.com/liveslost
2. Africa
An inter-agency report at the UN called for decisive action to respond to the deepening crisis in southern Africa brought on by the combination of drought, the HIV pandemic, and increasing poverty. (http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/UNID/43D32D922CD863BEC1256CB500347A15?OpenDocument)
Despite last week?s warning from the International Monetary Fund against implementation of a single currency in West Africa, the interested countries plan to move forward.
Fierce battles in Burundi between the government and rebel Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) have led to tens of thousands of refugees and increasing malnutrition. The ceasefire signed December 2 has not led to progress and it is unclear whether scheduled talks will take place this week.
In Democratic Republic of Congo, the demobilization effort has continued with the repatriation of Rwandan ex-combatants. The rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy ? National (RCD-N) has denied charges of human rights abuses, including summary executions and cannibalism, and have accused the UN investigators of bias. The second major rebel group, the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC), due to take up key positions in the interim government, has been asked to leave the capital amid security concerns.
Heavy fighting continued in Ivory Coast during the week, but discussions in Paris between rebel groups and the government successfully concluded with a peace agreement. Under this plan, President Gbagbo will remain in power and a coalition government of national reconciliation will be established, headed by an independent Prime Minister while preparing for new elections. The interim Prime Minister would not be eligible to run in the residential election, and government participants will represent all of the parties who attended the peace conference. Following news of the agreement, fresh fighting broke out over an agreement, thought to have been imposed by France, to the disadvantage of President Gbagbo who has urged peaceful acceptance of the compromise.
A Kenyan businessman, William Mwaura Munuhe, who was working with American intelligence officials to capture Felicien Kabuga, wanted for financing the 1995 Rwandan massacre, was found shot dead. The circumstances of his death are being investigated. Kabuga remains at large. The American embassy said they do not know why the investigation went so badly wrong. Meanwhile, 5,000 Kenyan students rioted to re-open the student union that has been closed for two years.
In Nigeria, a group of women blocked river access to a naval base to demand more government aid, letting them share in the oil wealth. Prior protests had targeted oil installations. The naval base is used to protect these installations.
Peace talks in Somalia have been bogged down. Now a new mediator has been called in. Ambassador Bethwel Kiplagat will replace Elijah Mwangale.
In Sudan, peace talks are stuck on the issue of whether Sharia law should be enforced in Khartoum, the capital. The country is divided between the Muslim north and the south, populated by Christians and animists. Southern rebels of the Sudan People?s Liberation Army (SPLA) say that Khartoum should be given special independent status to make sure all Sudanese would be comfortable there. In addition to the religious conflicts, control of oil production also contributes to the difficulty of the negotiations.
The UN mission in Western Sahara will be extended for two months while a referendum proposal is considered.
Zimbabwe is the center of a global row over the sanctioning the government and its policies of state torture and violent repression, versus applying pressure while allowing their participation in the international community. This conflict is well illustrated by the disagreement over the World Cup -- not football, but cricket. While state cricket authorities and the International Cricket Council have the final word, governments of the participating countries are weighing in. Australia, Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand favor a boycott. Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan South Africa, and the West Indies favor play. The ICC is evaluating whether security concerns would merit moving the venue. Meanwhile, President Mugabe has taken control of weather forecasts and five suspected journalists have been detained.
3. Americas
Bolivian farmers have increased their protests, including a blockade of major roads, to end the coca eradication campaign. A new guerilla group, the Army of National Dignity, has announced that it would join the fight.
Colombian paramilitaries of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) kidnapped a Canadian filmmaker and his 2-person crew; they were later freed. The paramilitaries attacked a border village of indigenous Kuna in Panama. After fleeing the fighting, the Kuna people have returned to their villages. Left-wing rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) kidnapped two foreign journalists; still held. Rebels of the Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) ambushed a truck, killing six police and their civilian driver.
Peru?s President Toledo said that no terrorists would be freed, even if he had to declare a state of emergency. This statement follows a Constitutional Court ruling that anti-terror laws were illegal. Under this, as many as 700 accused rebels would be eligible for new trials. Meanwhile, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has announced that 45,000 people disappeared or were killed in the civil war, and that including those displaced and tortured, victims could run into hundreds of thousands. They estimated that the rebel Shining Path were responsible for around 40 percent and the Peruvian government for some 38 percent.
In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security has opened for business and Tom Ridge has been confirmed as its first secretary. (Look for next week?s Feature Article for a review of the components, functions, and future of the new department.)
The US Senate has begun to use its control of the budget to address two of the more egregious violations of human rights that have crept into the US ?war on terrorism?. The proposed appropriations bill cuts funding for the Pentagon?s Total Information Awareness Program and for the Immigration and Naturalization Service?s (INS) National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program to register male immigrants from 25 predominantly Muslim countries. (Thank you Senator Kennedy.) It is not clear whether these measures, not included in the House version, will end up in the final version.
Screening of visitors is under scrutiny from other sources as well. Erratic policies and long waits have delayed many visiting scientists, scholars, and students. By contrast, neither domestic nor offshore IT contractors are generally subject to screening, even for federal contracts.
Venezuela?s conflict is growing increasingly violent as the divisions within the country harden. On day 50 of the general strike, one person died and over 20 were injured. At the end of the week, a bomb exploded at a pro-government rally, killing one and injuring twelve. Efforts to move forward with a referendum were suspended by the Supreme Court and international mediation has made little progress. On Sunday, a 24-hour rally attracted tens of thousands anti-Chavez protestors.
4. Asia Pacific
China has arrested ten more Tibetans in connection with a bombing campaign in the southwest. They join two people arrested earlier who were sentenced to death last month.
Indonesia?s investigations in the Bali bombing have proceeded, with more information coming from Imron. For a personal perspective on the event, read Richard Galpin?s ?Hope and uncertainty in Bali? BBC News, January 25 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2692523.stm
Indonesian Police now are recommending that the Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba?asyir be charged with treason and instigation of a series of bomb attacks in December 2000. In the province of Papua, US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials are assisting the investigation into the murder of two US teachers and an Indonesian last August, purportedly by Indonesian special forces.
Malaysian police have arrested two men in Borneo who are suspected of belonging to Jemaah Islamiyah.
Turkemenistan president Saparmurat Niyazov said 46 people were convicted of attempting his assassination but gave no details of the sentences.
Vietnam has announced increased state control over religion, which is blamed for inciting unrest. Offering related information, Human Rights Watch has published a new report the indigenous Montagnards. (http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/vietnam/vietrights.pdf)
5. Europe
France and India have signed an extradition treaty. They believe it will help increase intelligence and coordination of terrorist investigations. France can refuse extradition if the suspect faced execution in India. Three police officers have been suspended for alleged brutality against an illegal immigrant.
Italian police undertaking a routine search for illegal immigrants discovered a kilo of C4 explosives and other material that indicates planning terrorist operations in Italy, including against a NATO base in Verona. (C4 is a powerful military explosive and was used in the Bali bombing.) Five men were arrested.
In Spain, police raided suspected al Qaeda cells in Catalonia. They seized explosives and chemicals and arrested 16 people, including several with possible links to Algeria?s Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC). . Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar says they succeeded in stopping a major attack. Spanish authorities have recaptured Ismael Berasategui Escudero and Laurence Guimon, suspected of activities in connection with the Basque separatist group ETA. Escudero had escaped from jail by swapping places with his brother.
In the UK, police in London raided the Finsbury Park mosque. The operation was linked to the ricin discovery. The police seized a stun gun, a replica firearm, a canister of CS gas, and documents including forged passports and stolen credit cards. Seven people were arrested; all but two have since been released. The raid has been extremely controversial and seen as further evidence of prejudice against Muslims and violations of their rights.
The talks beginning between the Irish and British prime ministers and the ongoing meetings with the parties in Northern Ireland will be crucial in reviving the Good Friday agreement and the Stormont power sharing assembly. But the level of mistrust among the parties is high, and sectarian attacks continue, as do those attributed to the loyalist feud.
The Police Association in Northern Ireland has begun legal proceedings to remove the Ombudsman?s report of the Omagh bomb investigation, citing alleged factual errors.
Yugoslavian authorities have been given an ultimatum to hand over Ratko Mladic and two others accused of war crimes or risk the US cutting aid. Yugoslavia will officially cease to exist in a few weeks, as the final republics reform into Serbia and Montenegro. See Matthew Price?s perspective in ?Balkan Journey: four countries or two?? BBC News, January 25 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2691157.stm
6. Middle East
The UN Environmental Program has sounded an alert on the pressures of natural resources in the Palestinian occupied territories, threatened by dense population, conflict, water pollution, desertification and land degradation and climate change. http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=277&ArticleID-3197
Egypt hosted ten Palestinian groups in talks regarding the end of attacks against Israel. Hamas and Islamic Jihad want to continue suicide bombings that have been popular and increased their standing. Fatah has endorsed a ceasefire.
In the occupied Gaza Strip, Israel has launched a massive military operation. Helicopter gunships have raided targets while soldiers destroyed houses and arrested nearly 200 suspects. Bridges are being destroyed. There have been more than fifty injuries and at least a dozen killed. The Israeli troops faced fierce resistance but suffered no casualties. Hamas has vowed revenge. This will be difficult to carry out now that the occupied territories are completely closed down until after the Israeli elections.
In Kuwait, a US military contractor was shot dead and a second wounded in an ambush. Kuwaiti authorities launched extensive investigations and have arrested one suspect.
Lebanese Hezbollah have shelled Israeli positions across the border, in the disputed Shebaa Farms area. One Lebanese civilian was killed and one wounded. There were no Israeli casualties. The UN has voiced concern at repeated violations of the ?blue line?.
Saudi Arabian authorities are investigating a shooting incident in which four gunmen killed one and wounded three. Although the attackers have not been identified, there have been reports they were linked with Islamic militants.
In the occupied West Bank, demolition of Palestinian homes and commercial properties has continued unabated. In just one day, Israeli forces demolished 62 shops and small businesses. The UN has protested these actions yet again as a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The World Bank and others are concerned that Israeli actions have left the economy in total ruin.
In an ambush near Hebron, West Bank, Palestinian gunmen from Hamas and the al-Aqsa Martyr?s Brigades killed three Israeli soldiers.
7. South Asia
As the war drags on, Afghanistan?s disarmament process ran into a snag when the Jamiat and Jumbesh factions disagreed over the process. Negotiations to resolve the issues are underway. A national disarmament program has not yet started, and differences with regional warlords continue to pose significant risks.
India has celebrated the 54th anniversary of independence without incident. There was tight security around the celebrations, and many separatist rebel groups called for a boycott of the festivities.
India and France have signed an extradition treaty to help increase intelligence and coordination of terrorist investigations. If a suspect faces execution, France can refuse extradition to India.
India and Pakistan, however, have continued their tit for tat political exchanges, including mutual diplomatic expulsions, with the nuclear threat hanging in the balance at all times. India carried out three missile tests in 11 days.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, soldiers killed four militants in two different exchanges and three Indian soldiers were wounded by a landmine. Two villagers were shot dead and another was killed when a rocket targeted for an army camp misfired.
Nepal?s police chief and his security guard were shot dead by suspected Maoist rebels.
In Pakistan, a rocket attack by feuding Bugti and Mazari tribes set two gas pipelines on fire, causing nationwide disruption to supplies. No one was killed in this incident, but several have died in fighting the last two weeks. Police in Pakistan have arrested four men suspected of planning attacks against Christian targets. Elsewhere, unidentified gunmen shot dead Fazal Wahab, a writer critical of fundamentalist Islam.
Sri Lanka?s peace talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers will be moved to Germany in consideration for the poor health of the Tiger?s chief negotiator. Meanwhile, a human rights commission has begun to investigate past human rights violations, including hundreds of civilians who disappeared.
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
A malicious worm targeting a known vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server slowed internet traffic for several hours on Saturday and caused serious disruption in Asia. Servers in South Korea were shut down for some time.
New statistics from the US Federal Trade Commission indicate that identity theft again tops the list of consumer frauds, accounting for 43 percent of complaints. The number jumped from 220,000 in 2001 to 380,000 in 2002 and the dollar losses grew from $160 million to $343 million.
India is setting up a security center to combat cyber attacks, in the same way that CERT operates in the US.
Telecommunications company Verizon was ordered to give the identity of an internet subscriber to the Recording Industry Association of America to help it identify a suspected pirate while bypassing the usual requirement that the copyright holder files a lawsuit. Verizon appealed the request, saying that the ruling violates of its subscribers? privacy and due process rights.
9. Finance
Under a proposed agreement, European Union finance ministers have agreed to exchange information about bank accounts held abroad to help uncover undisclosed savings. In places like Switzerland with strict banking secrecy laws, they could choose to implement a tax on accounts held by EU residents. Negotiations continue.
New measures under the Proceeds of Crime Act in the UK that were introduced three months ago has led to massive seizures of suspect funds. Sniffer dogs trained to smell the ink in banknotes have helped investigations capture four times more laundered money than previously.
The European Commission has proposed new laws to combat smuggling of counterfeit goods, including consumer goods, equipment and medicines.
10. Human Rights
In a secret ballot, Libya was elected as the new chair of the United Nations human rights panel. Ambassador Najat Al-Hajjaji was elected 33 to 3, with 17 abstentions. Previous votes had been held by acclamation, but the ballot was undertaken in response to protests over Libya?s suitability for the position, given their human rights record
Burma has invited Amnesty International to visit. (http://www.amnesty.org) This is the first time a human rights organization has been allowed into the country.
Mexico has appealed to the International Court of Justice to stop the execution of 54 Mexican nationals on death row in the United States, who had not been given access to consular officials. The governor of Illinois commuted three of the sentences.
Tunisian dissident Zouhair Yahyaoui, imprisoned for satirical postings on the internet, has gone on hunger strike.
Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org) has released a report of continued torture in the Philippines.
Rwandan bishop Samuel Musabyimana, in custody by the UN war crimes tribunal for Rwanda, has died.
Immigrants detained in the US are into their second week of hunger strike against conditions at their New Jersey Jail.
Human Rights Watch has published a new report on violations of rights of the indigenous Montagnards in the central highlands of Vietnam. (http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/vietnam/vietrights.pdf)
11. Law and Legal Issues
Khalid Alwerfeli appeared in court in London on charges of having documents and other articles for the purpose of terrorism. He was in the house where Stephen Oake was killed.
Mohammed Azmath, detained in the US for 16 months following the September 11 attacks, returned to India, where he was arrested for giving false information on his passport application. He has been granted bail.
Wang Bingzhang, US-based democracy activist in China, went on trial on charges of espionage and terrorism.
Kamel Bourgass, accused of the murder of special branch officer Stephen Oake, appeared in court in London where the charges against him were read. He did not apply for bail.
Michael Anthony Brewer, the grand dragon of a Klu Klux Klan group, Sharon Barefoot, Marvin Glen Gautier and a fourth person have been arrested in North Carolina, USA, for the murder of an unidentified man. The group is connected with Charles Barefoot, the grand dragon of another group, who is in federal custody on charges connected with possession of arms, bomb-making equipment and homemade bombs.
Dejan Demirovis, wanted in Serbia in connection with war crimes against ethnic Albanians was arrested in Canada. There is no word of when he will be transferred to Serbia.
Nasreddine Fekhadji was charged with conspiracy to produce chemical weapons in connection with the ricin discovery in London.
Robert Hulme, Aiden Hulme and Noel Maguire are on trial for conspiracy to cause explosions, possession of explosives and a firearm in connection with the Birmingham, England bombings in 2001. They have pled not guilty. James McCormack and John Hannan have admitted the conspiracy charges and will be sentenced later. The five men are associated with the Real IRA.
Chinese official Fang Jue was released from detention and expelled to the US. His crime was to call for free elections.
Dr. Ahmed Javed Khawaja and Ahmed Naveed Khawaja will be tried for allegations of harboring al Qaeda suspects. The prosecutions? request for a postponement due to security threats was rejected by the Pakistani court.
Baghdad Meziane and Brahim Benmerzouga appeared in court in Leicester, UK, more than a year after they were taken in custody, on charges of membership in al Qaeda, conspiracy to defraud and false passports.
A court in Moscow has rejected the lawsuit by six of the hostages from the theatre siege. This decision suggests that the remaining cases will also be thrown out.
Mounir el Motassadeq, on trial on terrorism charges in Germany, has asked for evidence from Ramzi Binalshibh, who is held in secret by US authorities.
Milan Milutinovic, former President of Serbia, has surrendered to the International War Crimes Tribunal to face war crimes charges.
Sami Mohammed Marzouq Obeid al-Mutairi has been extradited from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait. He has confessed to the ambush and shooting death of Michael Rene Pouliot and the wounding of David John Caraway, civilian contractors to the US military.
The trial of Ian Nisbet, Reza Pankhurst and Maajid Nawaz, in Egyptian jail on charges of aiding the banned Islamic Liberation Party (Hizb-ut-Tahrir), has been delayed.
Anuraddha Ratwatte, former Sri Lankan Defense Minister, was denied bail in connection with his arrest for the murder of ten men during parliamentary elections in 2001.
John Roulston, Richard Morrow, Joseph Crawford, Philip Clarke, Ian Davidson, Dale Magill, Robert Anderson, Larne Greer and Colin Greer have appeared in court on charges of belonging to the Ulster Volunteer Force, and of possessing firearms and paramilitary uniforms. They were remanded in custody until February 17.
In US v. Jiminz Recio, the US Supreme Court ruled that members of a criminal conspiracy could be convicted even if police intervention meant the conspiracy never achieved its goal. This will make it easier to prosecute terrorist conspiracies.
Simon Vallor, found guilty of creating the Gokar, Admirer and Redesi viruses, was sentenced to two years in prison.
Asif Zaheer and Bashir Ahmed have been charged with murder, terrorism and conspiracy in relation to the Sheraton suicide bombing in Karachi. Their trial begins February 1.
12. Narco-terrorism
Bolivian farmers have increased their protests, including a blockade of major roads, to end the coca eradication campaign. A new guerilla group, the Army of National Dignity, has announced that it would join the fight.
In London, more than 500 police raided Britain?s largest heroin gang, arresting 23 people, and seizing firearms, drugs, cash and five million cigarettes.
13. Transportation
February 2 marks the day that the US will begin enforcing new rules for container shipping that require detailed cargo manifests 24 hours prior to sailing. The rules will lead to delays and confusion at docks and warehouses and some of the largest shippers, including Hong Kong, are having difficulty meeting the deadline.
Proposed US Customs rules would require 8-hours notice of contents of shipments before boarded on aircraft bound for the US. Federal Express has warned this actin would mean overnight deliveries between Asia and the US would no longer be possible.
14. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Smallpox vaccinations for civilians are underway in the United States, beginning with healthcare workers in Connecticut. Turnout for the vaccinations has been low, and some large hospitals do not plan to participate in the program at this time.
Canadian troops in the Persian Gulf and Middle East are also being offered smallpox vaccination.
A network of several thousand biological sensors has been placed in monitoring stations around the United States. This Bio-Watch network was arranged by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Canada plans to ask the US Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Agency (ATF) to post agents in Toronto to help combat an epidemic of gun smuggling.
FEATURE ARTICLE:The Algerian Connection (Part II)
In 1991, Algeria?s general election, won by the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), was annulled, leading to a decade of civil war that claimed more than 100,000 lives.
Another consequence of the military takeover and the political terror that followed was a refugee crisis. Tens of thousands fled a country in which their religious beliefs and legitimate political expression were now under attack. The successful Islamic political movement that had begun in Algeria now turned into a network of interests across Europe and beyond.
A small number of the refugees held extreme beliefs, including advocacy of violence and opposition to other religious beliefs. With the global rise of militant Islam during the decade, this network has also thrived.
The first indications of a radical network born of Algerian militants followed investigations into a series of terrorist attacks beginning in 1994. The Algerian Connection begins with a hijacking, described in David Gero?s book, ?Flights of Terror? (Patrick Stevens, 1997, p 93):
?24-26 December 1994
Air France Flight 8969, an Airbus A300B2-101 wide-bodies jet bound for Paris carrying 283 persons, was seized by four Muslim extremists as it prepared to take off at Houari Boumedienne Airport, serving Algiers, Algeria. Three passengers were killed there before the aircraft proceeded on to Marignane Airport, located near Marseille, France. Here, on the third day of the ordeal, shortly after 06:00 local time, an elite unit of French commandos stormed the aircraft, killing all four hijackers. Injured in the raid were 13 other passengers, three members of the crew, and nine commandos.?
By the next summer, the attacks had found a home in the heart of France. First, FIS co-founder Abdelbaki Sahraoui was murdered in Paris. Shortly thereafter, an explosion in a Paris metro station kicked off a bombing campaign. Attacks were staged in public places designed to maximize civilian casualties, including the train station and street markets. By the end of the year, twelve people were killed and nearly 200 wounded.
The bombings and the investigation that followed pointed to the need for cooperation across borders. One of the first areas of cooperation was in tackling the financing behind the attacks. Following a wire transfer, French authorities believe they identified British resident Rachid Ramda as the financier of the bombings and found telephone links to other alleged militants.
Other efforts included sharing information retrieved during customs and immigration inspections. Many attacks have been funded by criminal activities, including petty theft and smuggling. (After all, these operations are not very expensive.) In 1998, a synchronized operation rounded up nearly 90 people, mostly North Africans, suspected of involvement in terrorist networks planning attacks against the World Cup. France coordinated the simultaneous raids that took place in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. (Eventually 20 were arrested and only one was convicted of terrorist activities. He, Omar Saiki, was sentenced to four years in prison. Seven others found guilty of associating with a terrorist group were freed for time served.)
Since these initial collaborative investigations, many more links have emerged. For example:
* 1999 Ahmed Ressam arrested for planning the ?Millennium Bombing? of Los Angeles airport was born in Algeria, moved (using forged papers) to France then Canada. He has been connected to GIA and training in Afghanistan.
* 2000 Four Algerians were arrested in Germany after authorities found bomb-making materials. They were charged with plotting to blow up a synagogue and Christmas market held near the cathedral in Strasbourg, France. One of the suspects was later extradited from Spain.
* 2001 French police arrest a number of operatives accused of planning a suicide attack against the US embassy in Paris
* 2002 French police arrested several Algerians trained with Chechen militants in the Caucasus in a series of raids in connection with planning an attack against the Russian embassy
* 2003 Six men from Algeria (and a 16-year-old Ethiopian) were arrested in London in connection with the discovery of the poison ricin. A police officer was killed.
* Sixteen Algerians were arrested in Spain, and quantities of bomb-making equipment, explosives and chemicals were retrieved.
Let?s now return, for a moment, to last week?s article in which we focused on the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and the breakaway Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC). The separation of the two groups came when the tactics of the GIA, violent Islamic extremists who target civilians, proved too extreme for the GSPC, Islamists who wage a violent struggle against the military government. The operations described in this article have been associated with the GIA. It is important to separate the motives and tactics of the two groups. Similarly, conflicts in Algeria with the Berber minority and the dispute over the Western Sahara stand alone. By respecting these differences, conflict resolution becomes more realistic.
In some cases, the individuals identified through the investigations discussed here have had possible links to al Qaeda, primarily through shared training in Afghanistan, often as long ago as the mujahadeen fight against the Soviets. In no case have there been any organizational links to either GIA or GSPC, nor to any of the other groups in Algeria.
This illustrates an important point. The Algeria Connection is comprised of individuals who are brought together through a conservative religious interpretation and belief in violence, both personal and political, as a legitimate means to their goals. These belief systems do not rely on any central authority, although there are powerful visionary figures who inspire them. This is very different from traditional groups like the Irish Republican Army, ETA and others that are very highly organized, in a way largely parallel to military organizations. In many cases this is because they consider themselves the legitimate government, operating in exile. The individuals now following a radical, militant Islamic path have more in common with the extremes of the leftist radicals of the 1960s and 1970s, people like the Symbionese Liberation Army or the Baader-Meinhoff gang, both in their rhetoric and in their tactics. Unfortunately, technology has changed since then, and has created radically different ways to communicate -- and to destroy.
In the end, the Algeria Connection is merely an illustration. Cross-border terrorism is not limited to any single group. Efforts to counter terrorism or political violence by focusing on those responsible for the last attack will invariably fail on two counts. First, it makes people blind to the emergence of new risks and the groups that will take advantage of them. Second, it fuels the basic causes of terrorism. In the end, groups that are born from violence and oppression are defeated by resolving the root conflicts. To solve the problem of Islamic militants from Algeria, we need to look at solving the problems of economic collapse, disenfranchisement, military rule, political violence, and state terrorism that continue inside the state of Algeria. Oh, and it?s not just Algeria. Feel free to substitute other country names as needed....
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