Rabat, 28 Feb. 2007 - For the first time, a Moroccan has entered into the leadership of the Organisation of al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, which was born out of the Algerian terror formation, the Salafite Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). Sources within the Islamic militant group, quoted by pan-Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat, said that after swearing loyalty to Osama bin Laden, the group decided to set up an operative structure for all North Africa. Sources told the paper that among the 16-member "board" this was a Moroccan, known as Abu al-Bara, from Tangiers.
The creation of a single al-Qaeda cell for the entire north Africa region has been met with great concern by security services there who fear an escalation of attacks. Along with the GSPC, two other Jihadi formations from Morocco and Libya, have also joined in the new single cell.
The intelligence and security services of the nations involved have intensified contacts and information exchange to try to ascertain the precise composition of the new formation. It is believed that they may be operating terrorist training camps in Mauritania, and one is said to have been identified about 50 kilometres north of Nouakchott.
Other camps are reported to have been established in Mali and in Chad, as well as those in Algeria, and sources in the Moroccan secret services say they fear there group may seek to set up training bases in the desert areas of southern Morocco.
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.390699414&par=0
,b>Bosnia: Muslims Step Up Drive To Abolish Serb Entity
Sarajevo, 28 Feb.2007 – Bosnia’s majority Muslims have stepped up their drive for the abolition of the Serb entity Republika Srpska (RS). Created under the 1995 Dayton accord that ended Bosnia's civil war, the RS has been called a "genocidal creature" by Muslim member of Bosnia's three-man rotating state presidency, Haris Silajdzic. Due to the unstable situation in the country, the mandate of the high representative of the international community in Bosnia (OHR) was on Tuesday extended by a year. But the European Union has meanwhile decided to reduce its forces in Bosnia (EUFOR) - from the present 6,000 to 2,500 by the end of the year.
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http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Security&loid=8.0.390815762&par=0
MADRID – The judge investigating the Madrid train bombings on Wednesday accused a new suspect of being a ringleader of the attacks.
Judge Juan del Olmo accused Moroccan Abdelilah Hriz, 29, of being a ‘material author’ of the bombings. Hriz, who is currently in prison in Morocco, was allegedly linked to the attacks by DNA found on a comb and blood-stained trousers found at the flat and a house where a number of the leading suspects were staying. Del Olmo went to Morocco to get a sample of DNA from Hriz last year.
He has now been charged in connection with causing the deaths of 191 people, the attempted murder of 1,811 people who were hurt in the bombings and helping to mount four terrorist attacks. Twenty-nine other people are on trial in Madrid in connection with causing Spain’s worst terrorist atrocity.
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=81&story_id=37061