Danish terror case led police to Al-Qa'idah hacker
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - April 12, 2006, Wednesday

Text of report by Danish radio website on 12 April; subheadings as published:

The terrorism case in Bosnia against a Danish-Turkish man and a Swedish citizen has yielded a big result for the American authorities.

The arrests led to the exposure of an infamous computer specialist who called himself the Arabic terrorist James Bond or "Irhabi 007."

Terrorist 007

"Irhabi", which means terrorist in Arabic, has been causing both the British and American intelligence services problems for a couple of years and acted as an Al-Qa'idah warrior on the Internet, for example by hacking into the Arkansas' traffic ministry's Internet site.

From there "Irhabi 007" published everything from decapitations in Iraq to Al-Qa'idah recruitment films and weapons manuals, Newsweek magazine recently revealed. The magazine bases its information on unnamed sources in the American intelligence services.

The Al-Qa'idah hacker is also suspected of training terrorist sympathizers in fighting on the Internet.

Plans for attacking the White House

Two days after the action in the Balkans the British police went into action against three people who are suspected of planning a terrorist attack on the White House.

One of the three people arrested is 22-year-old Younis Tsouli. According to well-informed American intelligence services he later turned out to be the man behind the alias "Irhabi 007", Newsweek reports. The hacker's identity was revealed by chance.

Central sources in the American anti-terrorism authorities are talking of a major catch. It is said that the Arab "Terrorist 007" is an extremely clever computer specialist who has been linked with many Islamic terrorists online, including the Iraqi insurgent groups which are thought to be led by infamous Al-Qa'idah leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Al-Zarqawi has taken responsibility for several terrorist bombings in Iraq.

Big fish

Site, a private American organization which monitors Islamic extremists on the Internet, is also talking about a big fish. "Irhabi" is described as an infamous hacker who has been peerless in supplying Islamic extremists on the Internet with knowledge and expertise.

"He played an important role for Islamic extremists on the Internet. He enabled them to communicate, recruit and spread their radical ideology over the Internet. For example, Irhabi published horrific images from the war in Iraq and various weapons manuals on the Internet. He is also an expert in hacking and taught others how to spy on their enemies on the Internet without being detected," the head of Site, Rita Katz, tells Ritzaus [Danish news agency].

The British prosecuting authorities are now preparing a case against Younis Tsouli/Irhabi 007. This covers conspiracy to kill and planning terrorist acts.

According to Newsweek the trial will begin next January and if the Arab James Bond is convicted it will be a long time before he is online again.

Source: Danmarks Radio website, Copenhagen, in Danish 0532 gmt 12 Apr 06

Copyright 2006 British Broadcasting Corporation
Posted for Fair Use only.