Bin Ladin Calls His Balkan Brigades to Arms

26 September: DEBKAfile’s military sources report that Osama Bin Laden’s deputy, the Egyptian Jihad chief Ayman al-Zawahri, has ordered Al Qaeda and Jihad activists in Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia – an estimated 6,000 men – to report for duty and prepare to open a second Islamic front against the United States in the Balkans. According to our sources, that nucleus group is capable of mustering another 40,000 trained and well-armed fighting men. Many hold on to the up-to-date weapons handed out to them by NATO, including the US Army, during the 1998 Kosovo War.

In Bosnia, the Bin Laden-Jihad alliance commands a reservoir of 7,500 fighting men; in Kosovo – 15,000; in Albania – another 15,000 and in Macedonia – 5,000.

Earlier this week, rumors went round European and NATO intelligence circles that al-Zawahri was in Tirana to organize the Balkan fighting force. He was said to be drawing for help on the Jihad’s extensive infrastructure in the Albanian capital, the Albanian criminal underworld and the Albanian Liberation Army command posts that control large stretches of Kosovo.

NATO Headquarters in Brussels also received reports of some 3,000 Chechen rebels funded by Bin Laden beginning to cross into Georgia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. They are in flight from President Vladimir Putin’s 72-hour ultimatum to give themselves up and surrender their arms. They suspect that Putin received an American carte blanche to crush the Chechen rebellion in return for his support of the US operation in Afghanistan. The generals in Brussels fear the Chechens will strike at the US bases going up n Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tadjikistan.

There is every indication, according to DEBKAfile’s military sources, of preparations by Bin Laden and his network of militant Islamic fundamentalists to launch two fronts - in the Balkans and in Central Asia – to attack US and allied forces as they open their offensive in Afghanistan.

NATO maintains 60,000 servicemen in the Balkans, one third American; US strength in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia now stands at some 15,000.

Washington’s hopes of bringing Arab nations into its anti-terror coalition were further dashed Monday, September 24, when Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, both called Syrian President Bashar Assad with a promise of any political and military support he might need to frustrate an American strike against the militant Shiite Hizballah in Lebanon and the radical Palestinian groups based in Damascus.

Saddam disclosed he had placed his armed forces on supreme battle preparedness in anticipation of the United States following up on its operation in Afghanistan with an assault on Iraq in an attempt to topple his regime.

DEBKAfile’s military sources confirm that the Iraqi army was placed on its highest preparedness at the end of last week. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians are reported fleeing Baghdad and Basra and making for remote villages.

Another sign of the rising tension in Iraq is the airlift Beijing has instituted to remove the 1000 Chinese technicians and military men upgrading Iraqi air defense command centers with new optic fibers systems.

These major military movements heavily overshadowed Yasser Arafat’s abruptly aborted trip to Damascus Tuesday and the news that his oft-delayed and unpopular meeting with Israeli foreign Minister Shimon Peres in Gaza would finally come off Wednesday morning.

If that meeting does indeed come about, the two are expected to sign a memorandum affirming a cessation of hostilities, the application of the ceasefire negotiated by CIA director George Tenet four months ago and of the first stages of the recommendations made by former Senator George Mitchell and his team.

According to DEBKAfile’s sources in Washington, Arafat had already set out for his long-awaited meeting with the Syrian president in Damascus, when he turned round and retraced his steps to Gaza. He changed course after US secretary of state Colin Powell had harangued him by telephone from before he embarked from Dahaniyeh airport in Gaza all the way to Amman. Powell finally slapped down an ultimatum: Go to Damascus and meet Assad, and he would not only burn all his bridges to Washington once and for all, but he would be deemed to have lined up with Saddam Hussein once again as he did in the 1991 Gulf War – only this time there would be no forgiveness from Washington and he could expect full punishment.

Brussels also received reports of some 3,000 Chechen rebels funded by Bin Laden beginning to cross into Georgia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. They are in flight from President Vladimir Putin’s 72-hour ultimatum to give themselves up and surrender their arms. They suspect that Putin received an American carte blanche to crush the Chechen rebellion in return for his support of the US operation in Afghanistan. The generals in Brussels fear the Chechens will strike at the US bases going up n Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tadjikistan

As a non-military observer, I'd guess this is the difference between the generals in Brussels and us. They fear a strike at the US bases. We call it trapping the enemy in a crossfire.

Dear fusion bin laden,
Have you taken your pills lately ?
It's cold outside these days and your lil' brain is having problem recuperating after your last prayer to allah of yours.
Try some islamic aspirin - a gun to your little troubled head to ease the pain of thinking. It really hurts, doesn't ?
And sure the hoardes of Chechens are closing in to Moscow, it has beeen told at fusion radio broadcasting from the well known Tetovo republic , you better believe it. Fresh daily victories against civilians are reported by the lil' fusion brain.
I remember the laden thing talking the same as Aslan Maskhadov that a big provocation will come from the US against the glorious world of islam ... that might be like some airplanes in some buildings or something to be blamed on the poor islamic sexual perverts...
Because you have to be a sexual pervert like yourself to think that driving a plane into a building or beheading some Russians or blow yourself up in a market full of people will teleport you in the hands of 9 Virgins like the false prophecies of your lame religion is saying.

The farts (of) albanians are on the move. Europe keeps it nose.

One REAL obvious solution to at least part of this one: Pull out of the Balkans and give Kosovo back to Serbia, to whom it rightfully belongs, and sell the Serbs anything they might require in order to retake it at cost.

That would have the further benefit of eliminating concerns about the UN demanding that we cede major parts of Fla., California, and Texas to Mexico on grounds similar to those claimed when Slick handed Kosovo over to the Albanians.

"...Forces of 'freedom' on the move...Europe trembles..."

Ethnic Albanian soldiers of the National Liberation Army march through the village of Slupcane, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 4 2001. The NLA troops are training in the northern Macedonian town, while the country's parliament is under intense international pressure to reform their constitution to allow greater rights for the ethnic Albanian population. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

I'd vote for breaking fiction...but something has got to happen in the Balkans.
No body would believe that the islamic terrorists west of some always shifting border were GOOD islamic terrorists while those to the east are BAD Islamic terrorists...except when they cross the Atlantic.

At some point someone outside of this forum has got to wake up and smell the disconnect.

Fusion the KLA heroin supply from Afghanistan is being cut off. The draught and impending conflict is going to make the largest producer of heroin (70% of the world supply) null and void. How will the KLA now generate money for the cause? Heroin trafficking has been the backbone of KLA income for years. This is a fact. With the security measures tightened in Europe I can't see the KLA filling the void by steeling cars. And interesting dilemma since the US will continue to learn more about the KLA buying Bin Laden/Teliban heroin. After all thats KLA's main source of income. The old story Drugs/money/then guns.

I was quite impressed with the public display of approx. 4000 automatic rifles and some heavy weapons handed over to the British by the KLA in Macedonia. The British are of course holding their ground and one Albanian in Macedonia stated that he just wants to go back to work like before which translates I will get along with the Macedonians so I can earn my living, I’m tired of this crap. So much for the Tetevo republic and shelling Skopje. I believe the KLA leash has been pulled once again and the KLA are sitting still like good boys. What happened to the over through of Macedonia? The so called KLA war machine has handed over a lot of weapons and you can't say that 4000 assault weapons is a small amount not to mention the hundred of thousands of rounds of ammunition. The KLA have been told fusion to behave and are doing so. So much for self determination. Do you know the old saying, "If you want to hang around with the big dogs you can't piss like a puppy"

The forces of freedom on the move when the KLA are aloud to go outside and play. Europe can only wonder.

haha It does not matter if it is right or not.We have been supporting the islamic fanatics in Kosovo commit terroism against serbians.That is a fact. Now we are at war against some islamic forces and helping others to commit terroism. I have been waiting for the gov.org controlled media to take notice of this.

This is what the dirtbags husband will get for appeasing islamic fundies. They will murder americans behind their backs.I bet serbians are smiling since the wtc attack knowing that it will not be long before the marines have to wipe out the islamic army in Kosovo. Haha

>Islam of his brand does not seem to teach gratitude toward non-Muslims.

Believe it or not, this was actually the theme of an oddball, but pretty entertaining, war movie!

In The Beast," Starring: Jason Patric, Patric stars as a Russian tank soldier in Afghanistan. After his tank gets separated from other Russians, the crew tries to get back to Russian lines, but gets lost. Eventually, they freak out in the harsh, (and just down right freaky) Afghan conditions (very vividly depicted -- kind of a tank version of "Apocalypse Now") and Patric takes off on foot only to be captured by Afghani "freedom fighters." He _invokes_ an ancient Muslim custom of asking for mercy (with some specific word) and the Muslims, after discussing the issue, consent to spare his life, but hold him as prisoner. So, he gets to observe this really weird culture first hand. The film makers did a really great job showing this character as he deals with being a soldier in Afghanistan. (I don't want to spoil it, but no it's not a sappy, left-wing cop out ending of the guy "going native" and coming to love & respect the enemy.)

Mark W.

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