Al-Qaeda involvement in Europe

Although there has been no evidence of Al-Qaeda Attacks in Europe, Al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for bombings in London^[1][2] and Madrid.^[3] In the early 1990s, some members of al-Qaeda had participated with the Bosnian mujahideen, including 9/11 hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi.^[4] And in August 2009 militants linked with Al-Qaeda claimed that they were planning a "spectacular attack" in Britain.^[5][6]

United Kingdom

The UK division of Al-Qaeda finally went public with the launch of their website, www.al-qaeda.co.uk, in January 2012.

In 2003 Tony Blair sent armoured vehicles and hundreds of troops to London Heathrow Airport because the UK security services claimed there was a planned Al-Qaeda attack.^[7] MI5 said they received detailed intelligence in February 2003 about a plot to hijack planes flying from Eastern Europe and to fly them into Heathrow, to punish the United Kingdom for supporting the Iraq War.^[7]

In September 2009 Tanvir Hussain, Assad Sarwar and Ahmed Abdullah Ali were convicted of conspiring to activate bombs disguised as drinks on 7 aircraft leaving from London and going to North America.^[8][9][10] British and US security officials said the plan – unlike many recent homegrown European terrorist plots – was directly linked to al-Qaeda and guided by senior Islamist militants in Pakistan.^{[11][12][13][14][15]}

North Caucasus

In August 2009 it was reported that during a raid the Russian police had killed an Algerian-born militant in Dagestan who according to the Federal Security Service, was "the Al-Qaeda co-ordinator in Dagestan". The militant was an Algerian national known as "Doctor Mohammed" and was thought to be a member of the 'Jamaat Shariat of Dagestan'^[16][17]

Italy

In May 2009 two French nationals were detained by Italian police due to suspected immigration offences however they are now suspected of being key Al-Qaeda figures. It is thought that they had planned to attack Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France. Italian police stated that they are "two leading men for the communication of al-Qaeda in Europe".^[18]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

During the wars in the Balkans in 1990s Al-Qaeda directly funded and trained Bosnian Muslims to fight against the Serbian and Croatian forces.^[19] There were also numerous Al-Qaeda training camps in the Balkans, the major camps were located in Zenica, Mališevo and Mitrovica.^[20][21]

Germany

In September 2009 security measures were heightened in response to a direct threat against Germany, through an Al-Qaeda video, the threat came about due to German participation in the Afghanistan war^[22][23] Osama Bin Laden stated:

"It is shameful to be part of an alliance whose leader does not care about spilling the blood of human beings by bombing villages intentionally." "If you had seen [the mass killings] of your American allies and their helpers in northern Afghanistan ... then you would understand the bloody events in Madrid and London,"^[24]

France

In October 2009 a physicist of Algerian descent working for CERN was arrested due to his links with Al-Qaeda.^[25] Officials said he had been in contact with people linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and planned attacks.^[25] He later admitted to corresponding with Al-Qaeda members located in North Africa over the Internet.^[26]

See also

• Al-Qaeda involvement in Africa
• Al-Qaeda involvement in the Middle East

External links

• Foiled Plot Offers Clues to Recent Absence of Major Terror Attacks on West, Wednesday, 9 Sept. 2009
• Al-Qaida's jihad in Europe: the Afghan-Bosnian network By Evan Kohlmann

Further reading

• Al Qaeda in Europe: The New Battleground of International Jihad, by Steven Emerson (Foreword), Lorenzo Vidino (Author). ISBN 978-1-59102-433-0.^[27]
• Al-Qaida's Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network, by Evan F. Kohlmann. ISBN 978-1-85973-807-8.^[28]

References