Muslim Brotherhood sent members for combat training in Iraq

FOCUS ON TERRORISM: Muslim Brotherhood sent members for combat training in Iraq



CAIRO - Egypt has initiated its largest crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in months amid charges that operatives were sent for combat training in Chechnya, Iraq and the Palestinian Authority.

Egyptian police and security forces have arrested more than 60 suspected Brotherhood members in raids throughout Egypt. The raids included Brotherhood strongholds in Alexandria, Cairo and the Delta area.

The Brotherhood has been outlawed since 1954. But over the last year, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has sought to reconcile with the new Brotherhood leadership.

The crackdown on the Brotherhood was regarded as the largest since the election of the movement's new leader, Mohammed Mahdi Akef, in January 2004.


Egyptian security forces arrested Brotherhood members in six governorates.

"The surprise arrest raids are against all the expectations and supports the severe American and Zionist campaign which needed cohesion among the ruling systems and all the political parties, at the forefront of them, is the Muslim Brotherhood," the Brotherhood said in a statement.

Egyptian security sources said the detainees would be charged with belonging to an illegal organization. They said the Brotherhood was trying to revive its activities against Western interests in Egypt.

Sources said many of the detainees were senior members of the Brotherhood, including at least one candidate in Egypt's parliamentary elections.

Authorities have accused the Brotherhood of sending its members for military training abroad as part of plans to stage a revolt in Egypt. A company that served as a Brotherhood front arranged for the travel, sources said. They said the company also raised funds for the effort.

During the raids, Egyptian security officers seized computer disks, printing facilities and literature as well as thousands of dollars worth in Egyptian currency.

The raid took place amid plans to establish a new Brotherhood-aligned political party to run in parliamentary elections. Islamic sources said about 200 Brotherhood professionals intend to establish the "Center Party," headed by Egyptian engineer Abu Ala Maadi.

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Algeria, Pakistan join forces against Al Qaida


Algeria and Pakistan have launched security cooperation focusing on the joint battle against Islamic insurgents.

Algerian government-aligned newspapers have published details of the security cooperation accord between Algiers and Islamabad. The cooperation accord called for the mutual extradition of suspected insurgents.

Officials said the extradition would include dozens of Arab and Pakistani nationals who fought in Afghanistan alongside Al Qaida and Taliban in the war against the United States in 2001 and 2002. Many of these Arabs fled Afghanistan for Pakistan and joined the Salafist Brigade for Combat and Call in Algeria.

So far, officials said, Pakistan has been holding 30 Algerian nationals who fought in Afghanistan. They said some of the Algerians served in senior positions in Al Qaida. One such Algerian was identified as Abu Suleiman Yuataqed.

In 1993, Algeria passed legislation banning its nationals from fighting in foreign wars. But until 2002, few countries agreed to extradite Algerian nationals to the North African state.

Officials said Pakistani authorities have renewed investigations of their Algerian detainees. Yuataqed was believed to have commanded the Al Qaida network in Pakistan.

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Hamas has successfully infiltrated Israeli Arabs


TEL AVIV- Hamas has made significant inroads among Israeli Arabs, including the elite of the community. Israeli officials said Hamas has recruited Israeli Arab citizens throughout the country. They include Bedouins who serve in the Israeli army as well as the elite of the Arab community in northern Israel. "First, the Israeli Arab leadership formed contacts with the political leaders of Hamas," an official said. "Today, we are seeing the sons of these Israeli Arab leaders forming ties with the military commanders of Hamas." Officials said Hamas has sleeper agents and recruiters in numerous Israeli Arab communities. They said operational planning often takes place in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque. On May 17, Israeli authorities announced that a relative of an Israeli Arab leader was arrested and charged with planning a suicide bombing in cooperation with Hamas. The suspect was identified as a relative of Raid Salah, the imprisoned mayor of Umm El Fahm, and regarded as a major liaison to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Jordan. Salah was imprisoned in 2003 on charges of being in contact with Hamas leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Basil Mahajane, a resident of Umm El Fahm, was arrested April 14 in a joint police-Israel Security Agency operation. Officials said Mahajne confessed to working with a Hamas operative in planning and directing attacks against Israeli targets financed by the Palestinian Islamic insurgency group. Officials said the Mahajne episode illustrates the typical recruitment by Hamas of Israeli Arabs. They said Mahajne confessed to having met a Palestinian operative in October 2003 in Al Aqsa. The two men exchanged telephone numbers and spoke and met numerous times over the next seven months. "The two conspired to assist Hamas by perpetrating terrorist attacks and murdering Jews in Israel," an Israeli government statement said. "During one of their early meetings, the Palestinian revealed his intention to carry out a Hamas-backed and financed suicide attack inside Israel, to Mahajane. He asked Mahajane to render assistance and offered him payment; Mahajane agreed." Officials said the Hamas recruitment of Israeli Arabs has sought to exploit their freedom of movement within the Jewish state. Israeli military operations in major West Bank cities as well as the new security fence and barrier along the northern West Bank have severely hampered Hamas insurgents. Another use of Israeli Arabs was to relay Hamas funding and help designate targets. Israeli Arabs have access to prominent Israelis, including those in the military and security forces. Hamas has also sought to obtain Israeli identity cards for forgery. Hamas asked Mahajne to purchase fertilizer in Israel to produce explosives. The plan was to purchase a car and transfer the fertilizer to an unspecified area in the Palestinian Authority to produce explosives. The Israeli Arab was also said to have agreed to provide logistics and other assistance to a Hamas suicide operative in the West Bank. Officials said Mahajne discussed a series of prospective targets for a suicide attack and that he suggested an Israeli commuter bus that travels through northern Israel and is frequented by soldiers. Mahajne was also said to have suggested the abduction of an Israeli Air Force pilot for whom the Israeli Arab had done repairs. Another plot drafted by Mahajne was the preparation of a car bomb in an Israeli military base. Mahajne said he was ordered to relay Israeli identity cards and recruit Israeli citizens from Umm El Fahm.
Officials said authorities have warned Israeli Arabs to sever contact with Hamas and other Palestinian insurgency groups. They said monitoring of the Israeli Arab community has significantly increased over the last two years.

SOURCE: GEOSTRATEGY