Spain arrests three al Qaeda suspects

Swissinfo ^ | June 26 2007 | Reuters

[knighthawk]

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police on Tuesday arrested three Moroccans suspected of having links to al Qaeda and recruiting people to send to training camps in Africa.

Police said in a statement they had detained Mohamed Laksir, 23, Moulay Lahoucine Miftah Idrissi, 27, and Mohamed Akazim, 32, in Barcelona under international warrants lodged by Moroccan authorities, who want them extradited.

The Spanish police said the men were linked to al Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC).

Police said they were suspected of recruiting people and indoctrinating them with radical Islamic ideas in order to send them to training camps in the Sahel region.

Since the mainly Algerian GSPC rebranded itself in January as al Qaeda's North African arm, counter-terrorism officials have warned it might expand its ambitions to include parts of Europe as well.

France's top anti-terrorism investigator Jean-Louis Bruguiere told Reuters in an interview this month he was concerned the group might try to extend its network into France, Spain and Italy, which have large North African communities.

Nine suspected members of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb were arrested in an Italian police operation on June 7 to smash what they called a cell for funding and recruiting.

Spain has launched several major investigations into al Qaeda activity and is currently trying 29 people over the 2004 Madrid train bombings which killed 191 people.

Reuters (IDS)

[knighthawk]

Ping

[CAWats]

Spanish police on Tuesday arrested three Moroccans suspected of having links to al Qaeda

I'm sure al Qaeda is shaking in their boots.

[Ax]

“Mohammed,”Moulay,” “Mohamed?” Sounds to me like the Spanish are profiling. We’d better get them some sensitivity training.

[R.W.Ratikal]

What? 3 more al Qaeda leaders? This gang must be a gang of nothing but leaders with no followers.

I believe that the media or the authorities call these sand monkeys “leaders” to make it look like they are making more progress than they really are.

Definitions:

Islamic Extremists — Muslims

Islamic Moderates — A Muslim temporarily out of AK-47 ammunition.

[Valin]

Bump

[J Aguilar]

I believe that the media or the authorities call these sand monkeys “leaders” to make it look like they are making more progress than they really are.

And frightening people. I think you are right.

There are many Muslim extremists in Europe involved in indoctrination activities. They usually have no terrorist training and, in principle, no intention to carry out attacks by themselves. They usually enjoy living in a developed country and leave jihad for others.

When their behavior can be linked to a terrorist group (contacts with other Islamic extremists or funding transfers) then they can be accused of pertaining to a terrorist organization and be arrested, but the truth is that they are second level members, part of the infrastructure, and no combat ones. These details are usually not provided by the MSM.