Convicted Bosnian terrorist's internet links with terrorists in Europe detailed
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - April 23, 2007 Monday

Text of report by Bosnian Serb newspaper Nezavisne novine on 22 April

[Report by Dragana Raduski: "Jihad Fighters on the Internet"]

They never met, but these two young fanatics have become "brothers in arms," namely on the new jihad battlefield: the Internet. Investigators say that their connection made them the central figures in a terrorist network that spread to no fewer than eight countries and that included 30 suspects arrested in Washington, Toronto, London and Sarajevo.

Maksimus was the nickname of Mirsad Bektasevic, a young man with a sombre outlook on life. He came to Sarajevo from Sweden, and once there he began preparing for his first - and by all indications, his last - suicide mission.

Irhabi007 was the nickname of Younis Tsouli, a Moroccan living in London, the son of a Moroccan diplomat. He sat at his computer around the clock, thus become one of Al-Qa'idah's first cyber-operatives. At the same time, he was in charge of keeping tabs on Bektasevic's mission.

This case is only part of the proof that the Internet has become a veritable virtual training camp, which has successfully taken over the role of Al-Qa'idah camps in Afghanistan and Bosnia where entire detachments of fighters were trained in the past.

The soldiers in this virtual network were more technologically and culturally enterprising than the fanatics who carried out attacks in the past.

These were young people whose native language was English and who listened to rap music instead of incendiary speeches by Islamic militants. It was that very lifestyle that enabled them to communicate and cross borders with ease.

But at the same time, they were completely reckless amateurs. Because of that recklessness, they were an easy target for investigators. Still, investigators knew that regardless of inexperience, anyone who is willing to die for his objective is a real threat and danger.

Connection between Bektasevic and Tsouli

Bektasevic's family moved from B-H [Bosnia-Hercegovina] to Sweden when he was only five years old. He and his mother lived on welfare benefits. Even though most Bosnian Muslims practice a tolerant form of Islam, part of the refugee community in Scandinavia has turned to radical Islam. At the age of 13, Bektasevic developed an interest in religion after memorizing a verse from the Koran for a friend's funeral.

"That changed me. I liked it and wanted to learn as much as possible about religion."

Since he had been expelled from school as a problem child, he spent six hours a day on the Internet, delving deeper and deeper into radical Islam.

On the Web, Bektasevic made friends with dozens of teens in Denmark - Palestinians, Moroccans and Bosnians who together visited the mosque of a radical cleric in London in 2004.

After that trip, the Danish intelligence service turned its attention to them and placed them under surveillance.

While in Copenhagen, he stayed at a mosque and became the leader of the group. In the summer of 2005, he shot a video titled "Northern European Al-Qa'idah." The logo for this newly formed group was designed by Irhabi007, namely Younis Tsouli.

Irhabi means terrorist in Arabic, and 007 is definitely a reference to the famous agent James Bond.

Tsouli moved to London four years ago with his father, a deputy at the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.

He attended mosque quite frequently, and his alter-ego Irhabi007 first appeared on the net in 2003.

His first "exploit" was to copy and distribute a video showing al-Zarqawi beheading US hostage Nicholas Berg.

He quickly came to the attention of al-Zarqawi's assistant, who in a 2004 video message pays homage to his talents. After that, Al-Qa'idah began sending him video messages and asking him to distribute them. Tsouli was also Al-Qa'idah's public relations man.

Return to Sarajevo and Arrest

Bektasevic spent the first few days after his arrival in Sarajevo in cheap lodgings. He later got the keys to his uncle's house, but he decided to stay in the apartment that he had rented in another part of the city.

After a few days, on 7 October to be precise, he phoned Abdul Basit Abu-Lifa (who has been sentenced in Denmark) and told him, "Try to get your hands on some money, because I have found some really good stuff."

While looking for explosives, Bektasevic met two sympathizers who worked at a halal grill and whom he had known since 2003, when they met at the King Fahd Mosque.

One of them was Amir Bajric, an ex-con whose weaknesses were women and drink.

In mid-October, the group sent money from Copenhagen. However, it was brought not by Abu-Lifa, whose father was on to him and had taken away his passport, but rather by the 18-year-old Turk Abdelkader Cesur, who travelled to Sarajevo by bus.

Two days after Cesur's arrival in Sarajevo, Tsouli called Bektasevic from London. Three days after that, on 19 October to be precise, two Bosniaks brought him explosives that they had taken from an abandoned military base.

At 1555 on that day, there was a knock on the door of the apartment. It was three detectives with a search warrant. At the time Bektasevic said, "Who do you scum thing you are, searching my house?!"

While the arrests were being made, the police noticed Cesur hiding his hands under his jacket, and when they approached him he drew a pistol with a silencer. One of the policemen knocked the pistol from his hand and Cesur was quickly overpowered.

In fact, the Bosnian police had been tipped off by the Danish intelligence service and had decided to arrest the men as soon as they got the explosives.

The police then arrested Bajric, Ikanovic and another Bosniak. The search of the apartment where Bektasevic was staying also uncovered a video tape, namely Bektasevic's suicide message.

It is known that Bektasevic was scouting out international forces in Bosnia, but the exact target in a city full of foreign troops, embassies and humanitarian organizations is still unclear.

In any event, phone records and email addresses indicate that the Bosnian cell was in contact with suspects in Western Europe and North America.

Three days after the Sarajevo arrests, police in London arrested Tsouli and three other suspects. Five days after the action in Great Britain, the group in Copenhagen was also arrested.

Two suspects were arrested in Atlanta, and police in Toronto brought in 17 suspects.

The suspects arrested in London, Atlanta and Toronto maintain that they are innocent, and the trials are set to get under way this year.

In January, Bektasevic and Cesur were sentenced to, respectively, 15 and 13 years in prison. A court in Copenhagen sentenced Abu-Lifa to seven years in prison, but an appellate court modified the sentence, citing insufficient evidence.

Source: Nezavisne novine, Banja Luka, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 22 Apr 07

Copyright 2007 British Broadcasting Corporation
Posted for Fair Use only.