SERBIAN NEWS AGENCY ANALYSIS PRESENCE OF ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS IN EX-YUGOSLAVIA
FoNet - May 23, 2004

Zagreb, 23 May: Although according to official police reports not a single terrorist action by Islamic extremists was recorded in former Yugoslavia, terrorist from the circle of Islamic fundamentalists tried to attack targets in Croatia.

However, a group of Bosniaks did not succeed in achieving its goal because the explosive device hidden in a car boot, was activated far from the target and very close to a police station. The attempt was seen as a bizarre accident carried out by clumsy wretches, who were sentenced and are now mainly forgotten.

However, the case is not naive and should not be disregarded.

Namely, there are certainly people in Bosnia-Hercegovina who are ready and likely able to mount fresh attacks. Maybe not today, maybe not against targets on these territories, but the awareness of their presence in the neighbourhood calls for security services and all citizens to be on their guard. There is no reason for paranoia but warnings that can be heard from time to time should not be dismissed.

The Bosnian media recently reported at length about young Bosniaks being recruited to go to Arabic countries allegedly for education or jobs, after "they undergo theoretical preparations by religious instructors in that country".

After training in terrorist camps, they are sent to missions in other countries or back to Bosnia, where they wait as "sleepers" - always ready to act when instructed by "bosses" and this can happen today, tomorrow or in a few year's time.

According to "reliable sources", which were quoted by Dan on 23 January, they usually get jobs with international organizations or even Sfor (NATO-led Stabilization Force).

Nezavisne novine reported in January that young Muslim men from Bosnia-Hercegovina are going to Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya to fight for Islamic groups and that they are helped by former mojahedin and organizations which are suspected of having links with Al-Qa'idah.

The Banja Luka-based reporter quotes a German analysis published last December and a detailed description of "a green transversal" starting from Turkey and going through Albania, Kosovo and Sandzak (southern Serbia) to Bosnia-Hercegovina and is used by Islamic terrorists for a two-way traffic. Many of them travel under the guise of "Islamic humanitarian organizations". One does not need much imagination to see that for these people, the road to western Europe leads through former Yugoslavia.

According to the Banja Luka weekly, the German intelligence analysis mentions religious and military training camps in the areas of Bosnia-Hercegovina where Bosniaks are in majority. The fact is that all these articles are published by the Serb entity media, which traditionally do not like Bosniaks, but the number of similar reports from foreign sources is going up.
 

Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1020 gmt 23 May 04

Copyright 2004 Financial Times Information
All rights reserved
Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire 
Copyright 2004 BBC Monitoring/BBC  
BBC Monitoring International Reports

Posted for Fair Use only.