Madrid via Il Giornale? (Al Qaeda's terror strategy to subvert Europe)

The Washington Post ^ | March 25, 2004 | Arnold Beichman

[quidnunc]

There are some highly intelligent Islamist terrorist strategists who understand European politics to an extraordinary degree and, more importantly, they know how to exploit divisive issues in European politics like the war in Iraq, with or without suicide bombers.

This statement flies in the face of Fareed Zakaria's March 15 Newsweek column, "The radicals are desperate." If Madrid March 11 is an example of their desperation, one shudders to think what the terrorists will do when they become cautious and optimistic.

My view of their political intelligence is based on a March 14 expose in the Italian daily, Il Giornale of Milan, about an al Qaeda pamphlet published last year and discovered on the Web by Israeli and Norwegian investigators.

The headline over the March 14 Giornale story reads:

"The plan of the attack [on Madrid, March 11] was written in a booklet in 2003, in Iraq."

What the 42-page pamphlet makes clear is that Madrid — remember this pamphlet is dated a year ago — was to be the first terrorist target to be followed by a similar terrorist attack on Italy, both attacks coupled to the anti-American terrorist resistance in Iraq. The objective of the attack was to force both countries to withdraw their troops from the coalition forces in Iraq. That, as we have seen, has already happened in Spain in the aftermath of the March 11 catastrophe.

-snip-

[vbmoneyspender]

There are some highly intelligent Islamist terrorist strategists

If they are so intelligent, how come they attacked us on 9/11. 10 years from now, people will view that decision as ranking up there with Napoleon and Hitler invading Russia.

[DeuceTraveler]

True. They would have been in much better a position if they waited about 10 more years.

[olde north church]

Fareed Zakeria has the analytical skills of a slinky.

[Enduring Freedom]

Why is this link to Iraq not being reported?

Because the ENEMY WITHIN AMERICA is working to undermine the safety of your life, the life of your family, your friends, your neighbors.

And that ENEMY IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

[Ranger]

The quoted islamic author could not have been more explicit or accurate.

[livius]

Ping to ippolita!

This looks familiar, doesn't it?

[livius]

From a Spanish paper (La Razón), March 18:

"The Iraqi colonel who belonged to Saddam Hussein's former army and currently holds an important position in the guerrilla movement has become a prime target for the CNI [Spanish intelligence service], which does not reject the idea that he may have been the "brain" behind the March 11 attacks...The CNI believes that the officer is still in Spain and is hidden in a safe house that the infrastructure of the Mujabarat (Sadam's secret service) set up in Spanish territory with the authorization of the former Cesid."

"...The CNI announced that its Italian counterpart, SISMI, had informed it a month ago that this dangerous individual had left Iraq via the Syrian border, travelling under the identity of an Arab businessman, and had taking a flight from Damascus to Casablanca (Morocco). From there he entered Spain, where his trail was lost."

The Cesid was an earlier incarnation of the Spanish secret services, which were reorganized several years ago. They had extensive contacts with the Iraqis because they served as go-betweens between the Western powers and Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

[Ippolita]

Yes it does sound familiar!
Thanks for the ping.

[Ippolita]

ping!

[ConservativeConvert]

I have to go to Italy next week for business and am not looking forward to it at all. I've been expecting them to get hit since Madrid. I work for an Italian travel agency and - although our business is going gangbusters right now - the company would probably not survive an attack on Rome [or anywhere in Italy].

Probably a good idea to start looking for another job...

[johnny7]

What happened in the Spanish elections was as much a victory for Euro/American pacifism as it was for Islamic terrorism. Most in the European and American press were blaming Aznar and Bush for the terrorist bombings in Spain. Aznar for his premature charges of ETA complicity and Bush for his premature invasion of Iraq. In another words, the press had their 'real' culprit... and it wasn't the jihadists.

It is my distinct fear that America will become the new enemy to world 'peace'. Munich's 'Peace in Our Time' has mutated into 'Peace at All Costs... the United States be damned'! One has only to look at the final decades of the Roman Empire to see just how much governments are willing to pay for tribute in order to avoid the cold steel of reality.

[johnny7]

Greece looks pretty 'ripe' with the Olympics coming up. The 'bad-times' will really start when/if the whole EU follows Spains lead.

[largo]

We shouldn’t underestimate “Islamist terrorist strategists”. Sure they are not just primitive laymen. Sure they know “how to exploit divisive issues in European politics”. They are successfully exploiting both the attacks and the very fear of them to pursue their goals too. Denmark e.g. has actually turned into the Chechen terrorist beehive with lots of fishy “Chechen committees” and foundations and gatherings and refugees. Danish authorities want to stay safe and secure. The Chechen presence is viewed as sort of a guarantee.
Isn’t it the betrayal of other European countries living in common European house?