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U.S. ignored al-Qaeda links in the Balkans
The Plain Dealer ^ | 22 April 2005 | Vojin Joksimovich

Posted on 04/28/2005 3:03:35 AM PDT by Doctor13

Terrorism has been with us since the beginning of recorded history, both as a form of intimidation and as asymmetric warfare.

Nonetheless, few people listened to the comprehensive analysis offered by Yossef Bodansky, whose 1999 book, "Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America," sold modestly before the 9/11 attacks. After it was too late, another 400,000 copies went into print. It was only then that U.S. government officials took the time to fully understand the complexities associated with the threat of Islamic terrorism. The same is true for the U.S. media.

In the aftermath of 9/11, families of the victims overcame opposition from President George W. Bush to form the 9/11 Commission. Despite its 567-page report, the commission failed to address explicitly the issue of root causes. Neither the 9/11 commission nor most others have understood the part Balkan terrorism played in what happened.

As a nuclear safety engineer, I have systematically studied the events leading up to 9/11 and determined that Balkan terrorism was, without question, a stepping stone to the events of that terrible day.

The 12-year war against the old Soviet Union by the Afghans (1980-92), financed in large part by the United States, gave birth to Afghan Arabs, Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida and the Taliban. The Islamists, intoxicated by their victory over the Soviet Union, began to believe that they could defeat the other superpower, the United States. Bin Laden provided the leadership and the finances. New initiatives were launched in Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Balkans.

The dismemberment of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s provided an opportunity for the re-Islamization of the Balkans. Iran-led Islamists moved in rapidly to join the tripartite civil war. The jihad against the Christian Serbs and Croats, with the principal financial backing of Saudi Arabia, was waged with participation from terrorist organizations such as al-Qaida. The Islamists did not come to Bosnia only to fight the "Serbian aggressor," but for the creation of the first European Islamic state, as well as for the control of territory and infrastructure.

The Bosnian jihad was not only condoned but assisted by the United States. While bin Laden was not even on the White House radar screen, he established the hub of operations extending into Western Europe and North America.

The Bosnian-based terrorist network provided the essential capability for the 9/11 terrorists. Al-Qaida leadership played key roles, including bin Laden, who obtained a Bosnian passport. Al-Qaida's second in command, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, ran the operation. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind behind 9/11, fought in Bosnia together with 9/11 hijackers Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi. Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker, spent some time in Bosnia as well. While the Islamist terror network was maturing in Bosnia, al-Qaida was looking for other opportunities in the Balkans. Al-Zawahiri appointed his brother Muhammad to establish a terrorist and intelligence infrastructure for infiltration into Kosovo and Macedonia.

Western political and media analysts still do not understand the linkage between the wars in Bosnia and in Kosovo and the broader terrorist wars.

"The big powers do not want people to ask too many questions about any links between the Balkans and the so-called 'war on terror' following 9/11," writes British journalist Eve-Ann Prentice. "But the links are there . . . wars there in the past 10 years are inextricably interwoven with what is happening today in America, Afghanistan, Iraq and across the world. . . . Political and military leaders in Washington should not have been surprised when the monster they helped to create turned against them."

STRATFOR, a leading security consulting agency, recently cited German and Israeli intelligence claiming that Kosovo and Bosnia have become advanced training centers for so-called white al-Qaida members (Albanians, Bosnian Muslims or Chechen recruits). They do not look like Arabs and are indistinguishable from other Europeans.

Although the intelligence community is fully aware of the threat, political leaders are denying it and the media are silent. Given this cover-up, it's fair to ask whether we are able to prevent yet another major terrorist act.

Joksimovich is completing his second book "9/11 Root Causes: Jihad and American Statecraft."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; alqaedabalkans; balkans; binladen; globaljihad
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To: The_Reader_David

Your second post displays even less knowledge than your first post.


41 posted on 04/29/2005 8:36:54 AM PDT by Diocletian
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To: Diocletian
You may want to expand on your criticism a bit to let the poster now why you find fault with his/her assessment. I assume you are referring to the Croatian references mentioned.
42 posted on 04/29/2005 8:44:33 AM PDT by montyspython
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To: montyspython

We will see if he is interested in having his errors corrected.


43 posted on 04/29/2005 8:49:57 AM PDT by Diocletian
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