Posted on 10/28/2005 2:49:38 AM PDT by HAL9000
TWO GROUND-to-air MISSILES of Soviet manufacture, of type SAM 18, imported into Europe remain untraceable. Acquired in 2002 by a group of French and Algerian islamists near the Maffia tchetchene, these weapons are in the center of a terrorist project aiming at cutting down a civil aircraft near an airport of the Hexagon. Until now, Bruguière judge, who inquires into this cell of radical islamists, suspected them of having prepared attacks chemical or bacteriological in Paris. But the testimony of a high person in charge for Al-Qaida held in Jordan revealed that this group involved in Tchétchénie had other criminal projects.
French ISLAMISTES would intend to make attacks against civil aircrafts in the Hexagon and would have gotten for this purpose two ground-to-air missiles in Tchétchénie. It is only the last bounce of the judicial enquiry of judge Jean-Louis Bruguière on the dies tchetchenes, one of richest and most complex of these last years.
Already suspected of preparing chemical or bacteriological attacks with toxic substances, like cyanide, botulinic toxin or ricine, these militants also has criminal projects against the French airports. If a great part of them were challenged by the DST between 2002 and 2004, some individuals have escaped with the hauls. And no one does not know today if the missiles of the type SAM 18 assets into 2002 were destroyed, carried in other countries European or quite simply stored some share in France for a future attack.
Information is all the more worrying as it emanates from the testimony of a high person in charge djihadist imprisoned in Amman (Jordan) and recently heard within the framework for the French judicial enquiry. This Jordanian, Adnan Muhammad Sadik alias Abou Atiya, is a close relation of its Zarqaoui compatriot, head of Al-Qaida in Iraq. He was especially his representative in the Caucasus. Of these years 2000-2001, and particularly after the fall of the talibans and the end of the Al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan, the role of Abou Atiya consisted in taking again the torch to accomodate the djihadists and to take care of their drive. Once their formation achieved, the recruits set out again in their countries of origin or formed dormant cells in nearby States like Turkey or Azerbaïdjan.
Among much of volunteers of the four corners of the world, Abou Atiya accomodates thus in 2001 a group made up of French and Algerians. A part of them are veterans of Afghanistan. The majority took part in the project of attack against the cathedral of Strasbourg at at the end of 2000. Some have even bonds with those which wanted to make jump the airport of Los Angeles earlier one year. The Jordanian head ties a relation privileged with the Algerian Said Arif. Born in 1965 in Oran, this lieutenant of the Algerian army, which chose the desertion, remained in the Afghan Al-Qaida camps. After having escaped with the police forces German and French, it takes refuge in the Caucasus.
The islamists free-Algerian dream only of one thing: to return to Europe to strike. They intend to make use of all the means at their disposal: toxic products but also of the missiles. A batch of SAM 18 Igla (switches) is acquired on the black market via the Maffia tchetchene. More powerful than SAM 7 Strela (arrow) from which they are derived, Igla are not difficult to find in this vast supermarket of the armament which is the old Soviet Union. Once acquired, SAM would have been sent in Europe via Georgia and Turkey. The cyanide followed the same road and arrived to France.
Veterans of Afghanistan
The terrorists prepare their projects then, hesitant between targets symbolic systems (embassy of Russia, police stations) and attacks bloody (department stores, Eiffel Tower...). When the DST challenges large troop in Courneuve and Romainville at at the end of 2002, it finds a fusing. It will still have to be waited months so that the assumption of a chemical attack is specified. But not of trace of missile.
However, in February 2003, two months after the haul of the Parisian suburbs, and just a month after a British operation counters returned djihadists of the Caucasus, the London airport of Heathrow is placed in red alert. According to information collected on the other side of the channel, islamists were on the point of drawing on a plane with the landing or takeoff. And the "pipe" obtained by the famous service of British against-espionage Mr. I5 announced portable ground-to-air missiles "come from the continent".
Franco-Algerian extremists acquire anti-aircraft missiles here - Le Figaro
PARIS, Oct 28 (KUNA) -- Extremists linked with radical, Franco-Algerian Islamic groups now have the ability to mount a missile attack against an airline over France, a fact that has now been confirmed by several security sources, French daily "Le Figaro," reported Friday.
Such an attack would follow an earlier pattern set by a missile attack against an Israeli plane taking off from the Kenyan capital, Mombassa, three years ago.
The plane was slightly damaged but managed to land with 261 people on board.
Other reports said another attack failed against an Israeli civilian airline because it is said to have had anti-missile defense systems aboard, systems most western planes do not have.
The United States is pondering a multi-billion program to install radar detectors and defense systems on its civilian fleet but that operation would take many years to complete.
France has been increasing public warnings in the past two weeks that it is a significant target for a terrorist attack because it is fully involved in the fight against terrorism and is also an active partner to the United States in the war against the Taliban and Al-Qaida in Afghanistan.
French anti-terrorist Judge Jean-Louis Brugiere, the countrys anti-terrorism Czar, has stated in a number of recent interviews that groups are active here and France should be on guard against attacks like those that took place in London in July, when close to 60 died. ( Brugiere said he favors tightened measures to prevent terrorist attack, including more video surveillance and intelligence gathering. The government approved a plan Wednesday to increase video-surveillance and other measures, including longer detention periods for suspects, although human rights groups are strongly opposed to these steps.
The parliament is expected to approve the measures in the coming weeks.
Le Figaros report, placed on page one alongside a picture of a militant firing a shoulder-held, anti-aircraft missile, is in stark contrast to the relaxed position taken by the French since the invasion of Iraq three years ago, when they felt they were not involved therefore not a target.
Now, these radical groups are threatening France and are as much linked with Algeria and Chechnya as with Iraq and France is a serious target, a fact that will create unease in the public, as will the front-pager in Le Figaro.
According to the newspaper report, two "Sam 18" anti-aircraft missiles have been acquired by the French-based Islamic groups being investigated by Brugiere.
Experts said that the missiles, which were allegedly bought from the Chechen mafia, could be used in or around either of the Paris airports in a range of between 500metres and 5,000 metres.
The inquiry by the French side has been able to substantiate information about the missiles through interviews with a suspect held in Jordan, Adnan Mohammed Sadiq, alias Abu Atiya, who was close to the Al-Qaida leadership, Le Figaro reported. (end) jk.
Score one for Israel
I've heard that the countermeasures don't usually work with the newer MANPADS.
You'd almost think that appeasement doesn't work with these mongrels or something...
Booga! Booga!
This is a rather conveniently timed revelation, since France's Interior Minister Sarkozy (and probable presidential candidate) has just proposed a tough new anti-terror bill in the French parliament that the newly re-united moonbat French left is opposing.
http://www.lauramansfield.com/j/default.asp
Unless the terrorists are able to preform the required maintenance for these weapons as well as replace the batteries, then they have or soon will have nothing but expensive paper weights. This is why most Stingers found in Afghanistan were nonfunctional.
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