Presentation by Douglas McClure on Al Qaeda a Brief Overview 1st delivered November !!

!!" and u#dated since $est assured t%at not%ing in international relations is ever clear cut and straig%tforward and very little of w%at you t%in& you see and understand' is actually w%at it #ortends to be( )ir *inston C%urc%ill once described t%e +))$ as an enigma wit%in a conundrum inside a #u,,le( -e mig%t .ust as well %ave been tal&ing about international affairs( But let us start at t%e beginning or at least try to find t%e beginning( *%at follows would ma&e a great /rederic& /orsyt% or 0om Clancy novel1 2n t%e words of Dic& Clar&' from %is boo& 3Against All 4nemies5' and writing as retired Assistant )ecretary of )tate for Politico6Military Affairs' adviser to two +) Presidents' Al6Qaeda is a worldwide #olitical cons#iracy mas7uerading as a religious sect( 2t engages in t%e murder of innocent #eo#le to grab attention( 2ts goal is a 1"t% Century style t%eocracy in w%ic% women %ave no rig%ts' everyone is forced to be a Muslim' and t%e )%aria legal system is used to cut off %ands and stone #eo#le to deat%( 2t also uses a global ban&ing networ& and financial system to su##ort its activities( 0%ese #eo#le are smart and t%ey are #atient( Many of t%em trained in American and Britis% universities and t%ey ta&e a very long term view( 0%ey t%in& t%at it may ta&e t%em a century to accom#lis% t%eir goals' one of w%ic% is t%e destruction of t%e +)A( 0%ey %ave good s#y trade craft' t%ey em#loy slee#er cells and front grou#s and #lan for years before acting( 0%ey constitute t%e number one enemy in t%e *estern world and t%ey are amongst us in t%e +)' t%e +8 and even )out% Africa( 0errorism as a strategic instrument is not%ing new( 2t ma&es for strange allies and curious bedfellows( As C%risto#%er )tory writes in t%e 9uly !!" edition of )oviet Analyst terrorism was used by t%e C%aldeans' )yrians' Moabites and Ammonites against t%e satra# 8ing of 9uda%' 9e%oai&im' w%o was sub.ect to 8ing Nebuc%ade,,ar of Babylon in : ; BC( 2t was de#loyed by t%e 9ews against t%e $omans' until $ome became so incensed t%at it smas%ed 9erusalem to t%e ground' ra,ed its 0em#les and brutally slaug%tered a %uge number of t%e city<s in%abitants utterly in AD =!' as %ad been #redicted by 9esus C%rist( 0%e American revolutionaries of 1==: used it successfully against t%e Britis% as did t%e 9ewis% terrorists o#erating in Palestine following **22( At t%e time in 1>"?6"= t%ese atrocities and guerilla actions against an e@%austed Britis% mandated government in t%e region met wit% little or no condemnation from *as%ington and muc% tacit su##ort culminating in t%e Britis% wit%drawal from Palestine and t%e founding of t%e contem#orary state of 2srael( Modern 2slam %as neit%er forgotten nor forgiven *as%ington for t%is( /or years 2srael was t%e #redominant +) ally in t%e Middle 4ast but as Britis% influence waned and following Britain<s wit%drawal from east of )ue, #olicy under Aabour Prime Minister 9ames -arold *ilson' t%e +) moved in to fill t%e void see&ing new Arab allies and bases(

+nder t%e $eagan administration +) foreign #olicy in t%e Middle 4ast re7uired t%e su##ort of an immense and #owerfully oil ric% Arab state for t%e #romulgation by #ro@y not only of +) %ydrocarbon interests in t%e region but endorsement for covert o#erations round t%e world( )audi Arabia' as a monarc%y wit%out t%e constitutional restraints t%at burdened t%e +) intelligence community offered enormous fle@ibility to %el# t%e $eagan administration e@ecute covert o#erations #ro%ibited by a watc%ful and interventionist +) Congress( But )audi Arabia came wit% certain disadvantages( 2n t%e first #lace' t%e 8ingdom was an artificially contrived country' created not by its Arab citi,ens' but invented by t%e Britis% under t%e 1> ! Aeague of Nations mandate and given real substance in 1>; w%en Britain carved u# vast tracts of war6lord dominated real estate in Arabia( 2t was imagined at t%e time t%at t%ese would be nation states devoid of t%e com#le@ %istorical' cultural and tribal realities of t%e Middle 4ast( 2nstead of establis%ing 4uro#ean style nation states' t%e strongest war lords 7uic&ly entrenc%ed t%emselves wit% t%e aid of standing armies and s#y networ&s( 2n muc% of t%e Middle 4ast fealty is often given to tribal overlords and t%e 2slamic sects t%ey favour' rat%er t%an to t%e territory and #eo#le wit%in t%e boundaries of t%e nation state( As 9onat%an $abin succinctly defines t%e reality' #ast and #resent of t%e s%ei&domsB 30%e systems of government t%at %ave evolved inC)audi Arabia are #aranoid family dictators%i#s wit% ancestral roots in a single city or village(5 At $iyad% in 1>! ' t%e desert raider 2bn )aud tossed t%e %ead of t%e town governor from a #ara#et down to t%e mar&et #lace w%ere %is followers c%eered( 0%us was t%e 8ingdom of )audi Arabia founded( According to David -olden and $ic%ard 9o%ns in t%eir 1>D boo& 30%e -ouse of )aud5' w%ic% cost David -olden %is life' t%e 8ingdom is two t%irds t%e si,e of 2ndia' %olds a 7uarter of t%e world<s %ydrocarbon reserves and %as si@ times more overseas assets t%an t%e +nited )tates( 2t is a land of desert unc%anged for centuries wit% wealt% and #ower struggles to ma&e t%e world tremble' governed by a feudal dynasty riddled wit% intrigue( Not long after t%e controversial A*ACs deal was a##roved by t%e +) Congress' )audi Prince Bandar t%an&ed t%e $eagan administration for t%e vote by %onouring a re7uest by C2A Director *illiam Casey' for a de#osit of +)E1! million in a Fatican ban& account to be used in a cam#aign against t%e 2talian communist #arty( 2m#licit in t%e A*ACs deal was a #ledge by t%e )audis to fund anti6communist guerrilla grou#s in Afg%anistan against t%e )oviet forces of occu#ation t%ere' Angola w%ere t%e Cubans were su##orting t%e MPAA and in Nicaragua against t%e )andinistas( )audi6American relations 7uic&ly became a densely com#le@ web of international military and oil deals' foreign #olicy demarc%es' covert o#erations and com#romising financial relations%i#s( 0%roug%out t%e 1>D!s t%e +) assisted t%e )audis in a giant military build u# of airfields' #orts and bases across t%e 8ingdom' many of w%ic% emanated from construction contracts awarded to t%e largest construction com#any in )audi Arabia' t%e )audi Binladen Grou#' belonging to +sama bin Aaden<s fat%er( As t%e convoluted arrangement of t%ese nefarious' corru#t and inter6related initiatives intensified' t%e +) dialectical o##onent' t%e t%en +))$' found it easier to e@#loit and accentuate t%eir own training #rogramme of covert terrorist training and radicalisation of )audi and ot%er regional structures' building u#on t%e networ& of corru#ted

transactions arising' inter alia' from *as%ington<s s%ifting su##ort' first for t%e 2ranians' and t%en for t%e 2ra7i regime of t%eir old #rotHgH and %ired t%ug' )addam -ussein( 2ra7 %ad originally com#rised #art of t%e Ottoman 4m#ire( During **2 Britain ca#tured Bag%dad from t%e 0ur&s and 2ra7 was ruled from Aondon under Britis% mandate until 1>; w%en t%e country was granted inde#endence( 0%e country %ad been establis%ed as a monarc%y by Britain and t%us it stayed until t%e 1>?D revolution w%ic% broug%t t%e Ba<at% Party to #ower( A number of cou#s occurred over t%e ne@t t%irteen years wit% )addam -ussein becoming t%e -ead of )tate in 9uly 1>=:( Alt%oug% later recruited by t%e )oviets' )addam was originally %ired by t%e C2A in 1>?> at t%e tender age of to assassinate' once again as in 1>"= contrary to Britis% interests' t%e 2ra7i Prime Minister' General Abd al6Qarim Qasim( Over t%e ensuing two decades t%e C2A considered )addam to be a cut6t%roat and a t%ug' but at t%e same time t%e Agency t%oug%t %e was t%eir t%ug even t%oug% %e later did deals wit% t%e )oviets from w%om %e %ad received early terrorist training and w%o constructed a networ& of military bases in 2ra7 to counter t%e #arallel networ& of +) military bases being built in )audi Arabia inter alia by t%e C2A front firm Finnell Cor#oration and ot%er massive +) contractors( At one stage t%e C2A<s Bag%dad $esidency #rovided )addam wit% lists of communists w%om %e t%en &indly arranged to be assassinated( 0%e 2ra7i t%ug began %is rule in 1>=> wit% a series of s%ow trials and e@ecutions' #urging %is o##onents in a bloody dis#lay of ma@imum terror in order to firmly entrenc% %is ot%erwise dodgy aut%ority( 0%e idea was not%ing new %istorically( 4nglis%men familiar wit% 8ing -enry F222 will &now t%at t%eir revered sovereign did e@actly t%e same t%ing before graduating to lo##ing off t%e %eads of %is various unsatisfactory s#ouses( 2ndeed' -enry %a##ily slaug%tered := !!! of %is sub.ects w%ile )addam #referred to &ee# %is military #reoccu#ied by invading sout%6western 2ran ostensibly to #revent t%e )%i<ite revolution t%at t%e )oviets directed from s#reading to largely )%i<ite 2ra7( As soon as t%e 2ranian revolution %ad succeeded t%e )oviets switc%ed t%eir su##ort to t%e new 2ra7i regime( -ussein found %imself bac&ed by t%e +)' muc% of 4uro#e and )audi ArabiaI t%e latter' doubtless under +) encouragement' donated +)E;! billion to finance )addam<s war against 2ran( 0%e +) su##orted )addam to #rotect t%e )audis and %ence t%eir American %ydrocarbon sources( 0%e Defence 2ntelligence Agency #rovided )addam wit% detailed #lanning for battles' air stri&es' and bomb damage assessments des#ite re#eated 2ranian di#lomatic #resentations at t%e +N s%owing %orrific #%otos of incinerated 2ranian troo#s( Not t%at t%e 2ranians were t%emselves morally guiltless( At a later stage in t%e war t%ey sent 1! !!! of t%eir own c%ildren onto t%e battlefield armed wit% crescent nec&laces to be s%ot or incinerated by sarin' mustard gas' FJ and ot%er assorted #oisons su##lied to )addam by amongst ot%ers t%e Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta' Georgia(

4ven in 1>D; w%en t%e 2ra7i regime was using c%emical wea#ons against t%e 2ranian military almost daily' Donald $umsfeld as President Gerald /ord<s )ecretary of Defence went to Bag%dad as a s#ecial Presidential envoy to meet )addam -ussein( Alt%oug% %e later claimed t%e tal&s were designed to induce -ussein to sto# using wea#ons of mass destruction' it is li&ely t%at defence contractors wit% %is grou# went to 2ra7 to sell yet more c%emicals and #ave t%e way for t%e Knormalisation< of +) 2ra7i relations( Declassified memorandums of t%is visit %ig%lig%t t%e warm relations between t%e two countries( 2nto t%is boiling cauldron of com#romised relations%i#s' deal6ma&ing' nefarious 7uid #ro 7uos and seet%ing #olitico6economic #ressures ste##ed t%e ever observant )oviets in t%e form of one' Levgeniy Prima&ov alias /in&elstein' a curious self6abnegating 9ew w%o allegedly loat%es and detests 2srael but w%ose advice is strangely soug%t by t%e #resent +) Government in t%e form of t%e De#artment of -omeland )ecurity for t%eir war on terror( Per%a#s t%e idea is not so strange after all to learn about terror w%y not consult one of t%e world<s leading e@#onents of t%e art1 Prima&ov' Gorbac%ev<s s#ecial emissary to 2ra7 at t%e %eig%t of t%e first Gulf war' O#eration Desert )torm' %ad visited )addam and %is $evolutionary Command Council and #rovo&ed an offer to t%e +N .ust #rior to t%e outbrea& of full blown %ostilities( )addam mig%t be #re#ared to consider tal&ing about +N $esolution ::! calling for unconditional wit%drawal from 8uwait #rovided t%ere was a cease6fire' all ot%er +N resolutions against 2ra7 were summarily dro##ed' t%e coalition wit%drew its forces and wea#ons including t%ose of 2srael' 2srael would wit%draw from all occu#ied territories' and' several ot%er re7uirements( 0%e #ro#osal was an affront to t%e civili,ed world' but Prima&ov was #laying bot% sides of t%e street and doing it badly( 2f Moscow wanted 2ra7 out of 8uwait' it meant )addam %ad to stay in #ower' bot% as a valued arms client' and a surrogate Middle 4astern re#resentative( 0%e di#lomatic e@c%anges continued as -ussein became increasingly des#erate to salvage %is #osition' and t%e 2ra7i foreign minister' 0ari7 A,i,' s%uttled bravely bac& and fort% between Bag%dad' Moscow and t%e +N in an increasingly useless but frenetic effort to #revent a military defeat over 8uwait( Before delving too dee#ly into t%at #articular %ornet<s nest it is wort% reflecting on %ow Al Qaeda originated and its #resent role in )audi Arabia( Milton Bearden was t%e C%ief of t%e )ovietM4ast 4uro#ean division of t%e C2A at t%e time of t%e colla#se of t%e former +))$( As station c%ief in Pa&istan and later' 8%artoum' %e trained t%e Muslim Afg%an freedom fig%ters w%o encouraged t%e $ussians to leave 8abul( 2n %is boo& 30%e Main 4nemy5' Bearden describes %ow t%e +) actively soug%t )audi recruits to overt%row t%e )oviet bac&ed 8abul regime( 0%ousands of young men volunteered for military training and infiltration into Afg%anistan #rovided by covert +) and +8 intelligence agencies under t%e leaders%i# of Milt Bearden to t%e tune of +)E1 billion a year( 0%e +) and )audi Arabia s#ent roug%ly +)E "! billions on t%e war in Afg%anistan in totality' recruiting su##lying and training nearly 1!! !!! radical Mu.a%edin from "! Muslim countries including Pa&istan' )audi Arabia' 2ran' Algeria and Afg%anistan itself( Amongst t%ese was +BA %imself( *it% C2A funding +BA im#orted engineers and e7ui#ment from %is fat%er<s construction grou# to build tunnels for guerrilla training centres and %os#itals' and for

arms dum#s in Afg%anistan near t%e Pa&istan border( After t%e )oviets wit%drew from 8abul' t%e C2A and t%e Pa&istani intelligence agency N2)2O s#onsored t%e 0aliban organisation' a government com#osed of t%e fanatical *a%%abi sect' t%e same sect t%at ad%eres to t%e state religion in )audi Arabia( Alt%oug% followes of t%e *a%%abi sect do not refer to t%emselves as *a%%abis' t%e label is useful because it a##lies to a single Muslim grou# wit% a set of beliefs #eculiar to t%em alone( 0%e )audi s%ei&s %ave been *a%%abis since t%ey intermarried wit% t%e family of a #uritanical Muslim sc%olar' Mo%ammed ibu Abd al6*a%%ab' in 1=="( )u##orted first by Britain and later t%e +)' t%ey im#osed t%eir medieval code on t%eir %a#less sub.ects' ma&ing #ublic s#ectacles of stoning adulterers to deat%' maiming t%ieves' be%eading o##onents' destroying decorated mos7ues and cemeteries' #ro%ibiting music' se7uestering women and #romoting war on #erceived infidels( Members of t%e *a%%abist )audi oligarc%y are driven by t%e sometimes conflicting emotions of #ower lust and religious fervour( 0%eir su##ort of radical 2slamists follows from t%eir ambition to dominate t%e Muslim world' but t%eir fear t%at radical 2slamists mig%t overt%row t%e )audi regime at %ome motivates t%em to fund and encourage %oly warriors in countries ot%er t%an t%eir own( *it% t%e colla#se of t%e +))$ w%ic% caug%t t%e C2A com#letely by sur#rise according to Bearden to t%e #oint w%ere Aangley relied on CNN news forecasts to &ee# t%e *%ite -ouse u# to s#eed wit% t%e c%anges in Moscow' and its wit%drawal from eastern 4uro#e as well as t%e #ull bac& from Afg%anistan' a mig%ty animus was directed against t%e *est for abandoning t%e Afg%ans to t%eir fate( 0%e 0aliban fundamentalist 2slamic Government came to #ower in 8abul and t%e disaffected ?! !!! young Afg%anis and KArab Afg%anis< began to return( )uc% %uman &illing mac%ines %ad been duly radicalised' brainwas%ed' trained as terrorists and released for re6integration into t%eir communities in )audi Arabia' )udan and elsew%ere' from w%ere t%ey %ave been wrea&ing %avoc ever since( 0%ese young men and women were fig%ting not .ust communism' as t%e C2A and Britain<s )ecret 2ntelligence )ervice NM2:O %ad t%oug%t' but at%eism( 0%ey entertained an e7ually #assionate %atred and contem#t for C%ristianity' t%e *est and t%e +)A in #articular( Among t%em was t%e febrile' tem#eramental s#oilt offs#ring of a %ugely ric% )audi family' w%o distributed millions running training cam#s in t%e safety of Pa&istan' funding refugee %ostels' buying and distributing food' blan&ets and medicines to t%e ot%er Mu.a%edin( -is name was +sama( +BA aged "=' is one of ?" c%ildren N ? girls' > boysO( 0%e Aondon Daily Mail re#orts t%at ?= c%ildren were fat%ered by Mo%ammed bin Aaden and 0ime maga,ine re#orts only ? c%ildren wit% so many offs#ring it is %ardly sur#rising t%at t%ere is some confusion( +sama is t%e =t% c%ild of Mo%ammed and t%e eldest is )alem bin Aaden' a former Arbusto 4nergy 2nc( associate of George Bus%' )nr( Mo%ammed built a successful )audi construction firm w%ic% eventually made %is family millions of dollars via e@clusive contracts wit% t%e )audi $oyal family( 0%e lin&s wit% t%e Bus% family s%ould come as no sur#rise( 8evin P%illi#s' a former strategist in t%e Ni@on *%ite -ouse' writing in %is !!" boo& 3American Dynasty5

underscores t%e fact t%at t%e !t% Century rise to #ower of t%e Bus% family was built on t%e five #illars of American global swayB in t%e international reac% of +) investment ban&ingI t%e emerging world #re#onderance of t%e +) military6industrial com#le@I t%e ballooning of t%e +) intelligence community involving t%e C2A' t%e National )ecurity Agency' t%e massive Office of Naval 2ntelligence and ot%ersI t%e drive for +) control and domination of global %ydrocarbon NoilO su##liesI and' an e@traordinarily close alliance wit% Great Britain and indeed t%e 4nglis% s#ea&ing community worldwide( Mo%ammed bin Aaden died in a 1>:D #lane cras% N)alem died t%e same way years laterO( -e %ad started t%e Bin Aaden Grou#' a construction firm w%ic% is now called t%e )audi Bin Aaden Grou# em#loying ;" !!! #eo#le and re#orting annual revenues of more t%an +) E ? billions( Most of t%e male bin Aadens %ave t%eir own ventures including Baud 0elecommunications Com#any NB0CO( +BA in%erited E D! millions in 1>:D u#on %is fat%er<s deat%( -is )audi nationality was revo&ed in 1>>1( Abdulla% bin Aaden' =' +BA<s son' graduated from -arvard Aaw )c%ool in 1>>"' and endowed E ? millions to t%e university for t%e study of 2slamic law( Abdulla% is not to be confused wit% %is uncle of t%e same name w%o died on 1 Marc% !! aged =?( )aad bin Aaden' ?' +BA<s son' is re#ortedly climbing t%e ran&s of Al Qaeda<s networ&( )%afi7 bin Aaden was in conference wit% George Bus% )nr(' 9ames Ba&er and ot%ers for a meeting of t%e Carlyle N#rivate sector intelligence and investmentO Grou#' w%en %i.ac&ers %it New Lor& and *as%ington DC( )ome of +BA<s ot%er brot%ers in t%e news include Ba&r bin Aaden' 2bra%im bin Aaden' ?=' and Leslam bin Aaden' ?>( 0%e latter toyed wit% t%e idea of mar&eting a bin Aaden clot%ing line' but )wit,erland<s intellectual #ro#erty revo&ed t%e trademar& 3bin Aaden5' following >11( Leslam' a film buff for t%e #ast forty years' now concentrates on t%e film industry( One of +BA<s younger brot%ers' Adbulla% bin Aaden' ;D' along wit% Omar bin Aaden' leads a yout% organisation' *orld Assembly of Muslim Lout% N*AMLO devoted to %umanitarian and relief wor& in t%e Muslim world( 0%e bin Aaden family is generally lauded in t%e Middle 4ast as a %ig%ly res#ectable family wit% tremendous wealt% and #olitical connections to every industrialised nation on eart%( Curiously' it is strange but true t%at in t%e aftermat% of 11 )e#tember !!1 w%en *as%ington grounded all +) based aircraft wit%in %ours of t%e attac&s including stranding President Bus%<s #residential fat%er' #ermission was granted to fly all = members of t%e bin Aaden family out of t%e +nited )tates as soon as t%e air travel flig%t restrictions were lifted1 As for +BA' %e soug%t recognition as a great warrior li&e t%e famous Afg%an resistance fig%ter A%mad )%a% Massoud' but in fact %e was only involved in one scra#' in late s#ring 1>D= and t%at was it( Milton Bearden dismissed %im at t%e time as a s#oilt brat but t%e C2A station c%ief s%ould %ave tagged %im and watc%ed %im carefully( *as%ington ignored warnings not to abandon Afg%anistan to its civil war after t%e defeat of t%e toug% and brilliant )oviet o#erator in 8abul' General Gromov' but t%e

eu#%oria as t%e Berlin *all came down led to a conviction t%at wit% t%e +))$ colla#sing into c%aos' t%e former )oviet satellites brea&ing westwards for freedom and world communism dead in t%e water' t%e last and final t%reats to t%e world<s greatest su#er#ower were eva#orating li&e mist before t%e rising sun( Meanw%ile %aving signally failed in %is bid to con7uer 2ran' )addam -ussein invaded 8uwait' t%is time .eo#ardising bot% Britis% and American %ydrocarbon interests( 0%atc%er and Bus% res#onded in &ind and wit%in "D %ours t%e first +)A/ /61? eagles and $A/ 0ornados were %eading for t%e +) base at 0%umrait in Oman( A young )audi also bac& from Afg%anistan claiming to be t%e leader of a grou# of guerrilla fig%ters and an organisation calling itself K0%e Base< offered %is services to 8ing /a%d in t%e defence of )audi Arabia but %is gesture was dismissed wit% contem#t in favour of %alf a million soldiers and airmen from a coalition of ?! nations to roll t%e 2ra7i army out of 8uwait and #rotect t%e )audi oil fields( >!P of t%ose soldiers and airmen were infidels' meaning C%ristians and t%eir boots marc%ed u#on t%e same soil as t%e -oly #laces of Mecca and Medina( Almost "!! !!! were Americans( /or t%e ,ealot t%is was an insult to Alla% and %is #ro#%et Mu%ammed w%ic% could not be tolerated( -e declared %is own #rivate war' firstly against t%e ruling $oyal -ouse of )aud t%at could do suc% a t%ing( More im#ortantly' +BA declared war on America and t%e *est in general' and %e began to #lan wit% a meticulousness and care t%at would %ave done .ustice to a NA)A s#ace #rogramme( At t%e same time t%e t%irteen +) intelligence agencies costing t%e American ta@#ayer +)E;! billions a year entered a #eriod of crisis( Power %ad #assed to President *illiam Bill Clinton and bot% t%e C2A and t%e /B2' entered t%e worst decade of t%eir twin e@istences( During w%at s%ould %ave been t%eir %our of victory after four decades of struggle against t%e +))$ bot% outfits suffered serious crises of leaders%i#' morale and un#recedented incom#etence (0%e new masters wors%i##ed a new God #olitical correctness( 0%e lingering scandals of 2rangate and t%e illicit aid to t%e Nicaraguan Contras caused t%e new masters a crisis of nerve( Good men left in droves( Bureaucrats and bean6counters became c%iefs of de#artments( Men wit% decades of front6line e@#erience were disregarded and discarded( C2A field o#eratives and agent %andlers were forbidden to recruit as #aid assets or informers any sources in sus#ect organisations &nown to be res#onsible for murder' criminal activities or any form of illegitimate and #rosecutable conduct( )uc% constraints made t%e #enetration of sinister grou#s virtually im#ossible( 0%e %andiwor& of )enator /ran& C%urc%<s C2A investigating Committee in t%e 1>=!s and Congressman Otis Pi&e was coming %ome to roost( On :t% /ebruary 1>>; four Arab terrorists' led by one $am,i Lousef' drove a rented van into t%e second level of t%e basement ve%icle #ar& below t%e *orld 0rade Centre( 2t contained between 1 and 1? %undred #ounds of %ome6made fertili,er based e@#losive called urea nitrate( 2t detonated wit% a s#ectacular e@#losion' caused e@tensive damage and a few casualties( No one in *as%ington realised t%at it constituted t%e e7uivalent of t%e assassination of t%e Arc%du&e /ran, /erdinand w%ic% %ad started *orld *ar 2(

According to )imon $eeve in %is 1>>> boo& 30%e New 9ac&als5 t%e /B2 discovered t%at Lousef %ad been funded by +BA and an e@traordinary man%unt too& /B2 agents across t%e globe( But even wit% t%e /B2 on %is trail Lousef continued wit% a masterful cam#aign of terror( -e bombed an aero#lane and an 2ranian s%rine( -e tried to murder Bena,ir B%utto' t%e former Pa&istani Prime Minister' and #lanned to assassinate t%e Po#e and President Clinton' and simultaneously destroy 11 airliners over t%e Pacific ocean using tiny' undetectable bombs( -e also #lotted an attac& on t%e C2A %ead7uarters at Aangley in Firginia' using a #lane loaded wit% c%emical wea#ons( -is #ursuers dubbed %im an evil genius( +BA was e@#elled from )audi Arabia for %is im#ertinence in denouncing t%e monarc% for #ermitting infidels onto sacred sand( -e too& refuge in )udan w%ere t%e government of t%e day offered to %and %im over to t%e C2A but no one at Aangley eit%er cared or was interested( 0%en in 1>>: %e was gone' flown out incredibly via a +) -ercules C61;! cargo aircraft' bac& to t%e %ills of Afg%anistan to wor& wit% t%e ultra ,ealous 0aliban( By t%e late 1>>!s t%e /B2 were coming to t%e conclusion t%at t%ey %ad made a terrible mista&e in allowing +BA to leave )udan( -e was t%e most influential s#onsor of terrorism in t%e world( 2n /ebruary 1>>D +BA assembled a number of terrorist grou#s' including 2slamic 9i%ad' and issued a fierce fatwa calling for t%e deat%s of all Americans( *%en %is followers attac&ed American embassies in 8enya and 0an,ania on =t% August 1>>D &illing " #eo#le' t%e +) finally launc%ed cruise missile stri&es in a febrile attem#t to destroy %is %ig%ly mobile secret organisation( 0%e nest mig%t %ave been damaged but t%e bird %ad flown( On August !t% 1>>D President Clinton amended 4@ecutive Order 1 >"= to add +BA and %is &ey associates to t%e list of &nown terrorists' t%ereby free,ing t%eir +) assets' including #ro#erties and ban& accounts' and #ro%ibiting all +) financial transactions wit% t%em( 0%e +) conducted a missile attac& against +BA<s facilities in Afg%anistan in t%e same year( +BA 7uic&ly used %is business e@#ertise and contacts wit% 0ur&is% officials and t%e )icilian Mafia to e@#and t%e Afg%an drug trade( -is teams too& over t%e o#ium fields' establis%ed so#%isticated c%emical laboratories and u#graded t%e Afg%an drug #roduct line from lower grade Number 0%ree %eroin Nw%ic% could only be smo&ed or snortedO to %ig%er grade Number /our %eroin w%ic% could be mainlined into t%e veins and w%ic% is wort% a %undred times more t%an Number 0%ree( +BA used 0ur&is% tec%nology' e7ui#ment and c%emists from t%e former +))$( *it%in mont%s t%e facilities were u# and running and were swiftly ca#able of #roducing ? !!! metric tons of %eroin #er year ma&ing +BA t%e world<s largest su##lier of t%e new international drug of c%oice( By 1>>= t%e #o##y %arvest in Afg%anistan soared to ; =: metric tons of raw o#ium' and revenues began #ouring in to t%e coffers of Al Qaeda at a rate of +)E ? billions to +)E 1: billions #er annum( By 1>>D t%e +) National -ouse%old )urvey discovered 1"> !!! new %eroin users t%roug%out t%e +)A D!P under t%e age of :' wit% t%e average addict s#ending E1?! to E !! #er day to maintain t%e %abit( *%ile booming in t%e +)' it roc&eted beyond belief in 4uro#e( /rom 1>>: to !!1' 4uro#eans consumed more t%an 1? tons

of %eroin #er annum twice t%e +) consum#tion levels( =? P of all %eroin used in 4uro#e came from Afg%anistan( 4ven today t%e drug is trans#orted by truc& caravans from Afg%anistan t%roug% nort%ern 2ran Ndue to +BAs contacts wit% -e,bolla%' t%e )%iite terrorist movementO and 0ur&ey to )ofia in Bulgaria' or via t%e Nort% *est /rontier #rovince of Pa&istan( a violent lawless strong%old of criminals' warring tribal factions and terrorists' w%ere even t%e Pa&istani military %esitate to venture( 2ronically' Americans and 4uro#eans were financing t%eir own terror war via t%eir addictive %abits' and were viewed by Al Qaeda as victims of t%eir own decadence( On 1 October !!! Al Qaeda struc& again wit% suicide bombers ramming two fast inflatable boats #ac&ed wit% %ig% e@#losive into t%e +)) Cole moored at t%e old Britis% coaling station Lemen' at t%e ti# of t%e )audi #eninsula( Due to t%e com#ression between t%e %ull and t%e concrete a %uge %ole was torn inside t%e vessel in.uring ;> and &illing 1= +) sailors( 0o launc% t%e attac& cost Al6Qaeda a##ro@imately +)E ?! !!!( 0errorism divides into five levels( At t%e to# are t%e #lotters' t%e #lanners' t%e aut%orisers and t%e ins#irers( Ne@t come t%e enablers' t%e facilitators wit%out w%om no #lan can wor&( 0%ey do t%e recruiting' t%e training' t%e funding and t%e su##lying( 0%ird come t%e doers wit%out moral scru#le w%o #ull t%e triggers' t%row t%e grenades' drive t%e suicide cars and de#osit t%e ,y&lon B crystals( 0%e fourt% grou# are t%e active collaborators w%o guide t%e &illers' denounce t%e neig%bours' reveal t%e %iding #laces and betray t%e one6time sc%ool friends( At t%e bottom are t%e broad masses bovine' stu#id' saluting t%e tyrants' garlanding t%e murderers( 2n t%e terror war against t%e *est in general' and t%e +)A in #articular' Al Qaeda fulfilled t%e first two functions( Neit%er +BA nor %is number two' t%e 4gy#tian Ayman 8awa%eri' nor %is O#s C%ief Mo%amed Atef' nor %is international emissary' Abu Qubayda%' would ever need to #lant a bomb or drive a truc&( 0%e mos7ue sc%ools' t%e madrassas' would #rovide a steady stream of teenage fanatics already im#regnated wit% a dee# %atred of t%e w%ole world t%at was not fundamentalist' #lus a garbled version of a few distorted e@tracts from t%e 8oran( 0o t%em would be added a few more mature converts' tric&ed into t%in&ing t%at mass murder guaranteed 8oranic #aradise( Al Qaeda only %ad to devise' train' e7ui#' direct' fund and watc%( America was in a new war and did not &now it( On )e#tember 11 !!1 t%e Al Qaeda #lan came toget%er( 2t was not t%e culmination but t%e beginning( Over t%ree t%ousand #eo#le died' t%e world<s financial centres were roc&ed' global mar&ets im#loded and li&e minded governments round t%e globe turned t%eir attention to +BA and %is teams( 0%e cost to Al6Qaeda of launc%ing t%e attac& amounted to an estimated +)E ?!! !!!( 0%e attac& inflicted +)E D! billions wort% of damage world wide and cost 11 million #eo#le in t%e develo#ing world t%eir em#loyment(

According to interrogated Al6Qaeda ca#tives it was subse7uently revealed t%at similar #lans to %i.ac& a Britis% airways .umbo .et at ?#m Britis% time and fly it into t%e -ouses of Parliament at *estminster in Aondon %ad to be abandoned because of t%e +)M+8 time difference allowing t%e Britis% to ground all t%eir flig%ts after learning of t%e American attac&s( /ollowing at least two foiled Al Qaeda o#erations to bring down #assenger #lanes over Aondon' 2srael<s Mossad intelligence service warned t%at sooner or later a s%oulder fired missile would be fired at an 4l Al flig%t out of -eat%row( Advanced devices &nown as /lig%t Guard %ave been attac%ed to 2sraeli airliners ada#ted from military systems to trigger decoy flares' in t%e event of suc% an attac&( $o%an Gunaratna<s boo& 32nside Al Qaeda5 describes %ow t%e 2ndian intelligence service learned of #lans to %i.ac& an Air 2ndia aircraft and fly it into t%e 2ndian Parliament in Del%i( 0%e same sources %ave revealed #lans to %i.ac& an Australian airliner and cras% it on Canberra( 0%e attac&s on democratic institutions round t%e world were not wit%out a clear message( 0%e curious )audi connection reared its %ead again in t%e form of 2slamic international c%arity and aid organisations w%en in t%e aftermat% of >11 investigation of various 2slamic c%arities revealed overw%elming evidence t%at )audis at all levels wor&ed in tandem wit% t%e terrorists( +) News and *orld $e#ort of 1? December !!; revealed t%at at t%e )audi -ig% Commission in Bosnia' w%ic% co6ordinated local aid among )audi c%arities' #olice discovered before and after #%otos of t%e *orld 0rade Centre' files on #esticides and cro# dusters' and information on %ow to counterfeit +) )tate De#artment badges( At Manila<s international air#ort #olice sto##ed Agus Dwi&arna' an al -aramain re#resentative based in 2ndonesia( 2n %is suitcase were C" e@#losives( 0%e inter6loc&ing c%arities made it difficult to follow t%e money trail( Many organisations s%ared t%e same directors' office s#ace and cas% resources( /or two years investigators followed t%e money to offs%ore trusts and obscure c%arities w%ic% according to court records indicate ties to -amas' Al Qaeda and ot%er terror grou#s( 2n t%e subterranean labrynt%s of Afg%anistan t%at #assed for caves originally built by +BA<s construction com#any ironically financed by t%e C2A for attac&s on t%e )oviet forces of occu#ation in Afg%anistan' laboratories were e@#erimenting wit% germs and gases( 2n 2ra7 and Aibya t%e first attem#ts were made to #roduce enric%ed uranium for t%e ultimate wea#on of terror fissionable uranium to serve as t%e basic element of a dirty nuclear bomb( And on anot%er level altoget%er anot%er #lot was %atc%ed to &noc& t%e biggest +) ally in t%e Middle 4ast out of t%e ring not 2srael but t%e )audi $oyal 8ingdom su##lying 1 P of total +) %ydrocarbon re7uirements( Figorous American and Britis% reaction to >11 in t%e form of :' !! troo#s bac&ing t%e Nort%ern Alliance obliterated t%e immediate t%reats from Afg%anistan' alt%oug% O#eration 4nduring /reedom failed to locate and destroy +BA( As Mar& Nicol remar&s in %is !!" boo& 3+ltimate $is& )A) contact Al Qaeda5 t%e e@cuse of t%e $ed Army<s defeat in Afg%anistan is a #oor one( 3Nobody e@#ected : ! !!! allied troo#s to be de#loyed' not even : !!!' but : !! Britis% and +) infantry soldiers wit% t%e re7uisite su##ort arms focusing on a s#ecific area and acting on good intelligence could %ave made a substantial difference(5 Bac&ed by massive +) air#ower t%ey certainly did(

Aibya<s Gaddaffi seeing t%e writing on t%e wall' 7uic&ly c%anged tac&' a##roac%ed t%e Britis% and conceded to *as%ington( Al Qaeda<s res#onse was to #our dissidents into 2ra7 from neig%bouring )yria and 2ran' numbering some ? !!!( +sing im#orted and #re6#ositioned wea#onry t%ey commenced a concerted cam#aign of e@tended terror and low intensity o#erations against t%e +)M+8 coalition forces( *ealt%y offs%ore Al Qaeda financiers %a##ily #laced +)E 11 !!! bounties on &idna##ed westerners for t%eir #ublic dis#lay and video6ta#ed be%eading( 0%e war s#read across t%e world( )ince >11 t%ere %ave been over ;?! Al6Qaeda attac&s world wide( )ome of t%e more s#ectacular include t%e followingB Australians %olidaying in e@otic Bali #aid t%e #rice for t%eir !!! man contribution to t%e coalition forces in 2ra7 w%en more t%an one e@#losive device detonated wit% t%e effect of a small t%ermo6nuclear wea#on in t%e )ari Club' Paddy<s Club and a small 1 &g device outside t%e +) Consulate( Casualties amounted to ! dead wit% over a t%ousand in.ured at an estimated cost to Al6Qaeda of +)E ;? !!!( 2n a November !!" BBC documentary titled 30%e *orld +ncovered5 it was revealed t%at two days #rior to t%e attac& t%e +) )tate De#artment' acting on t%e basis of 3c%atter5 intelligence Nelectronic interce#tsO available to Aondon' *as%ington and Canberra' warned +) nationals to avoid Bali( 0%e American tourists were described as 3w%ite meat5 in t%ese signals( 0%e Britis% Government did not%ing( No one warned t%e Balinese( Australia told its tourists t%at Bali was 3business as usual5( 0%e #lotters were subse7uently caug%t' convicted and e@ecuted wit% t%e e@ce#tion of one man Ali 2mran w%o defected and w%ose life was s#ared( 0%ey were described by Ambassador Cofer Blac& of t%e +) Counter 0errorism Division wit%in t%e +) )tate De#artment as a 3ragtag bunc% of misfitsC w%o are a grou# of criminals w%ose stoc& in trade is to &ill innocent #eo#le5( 0%e bombs %ad been detonated by a combination of suicide bombers and cell #%one te@t messages( 1"! Australian #olice officers flew to Bali for t%e investigation wit% t%e su##ort of President Bus%' w%o called Australia' 3%is de#uty s%eriff(5 As far bac& as >11 t%e Australian Government %ad been warned by t%e +)A t%at soft targets involving bars' cafes and nig%t clubs were on t%e %it list in 2ndonesia( 0%e /B2 obtained a source wit%in Al Qaeda w%ic% in%ibited two terrorists from detonating four massive car bombs in )inga#ore( Mi&e' real name /at%ur $oman Al G%o,i' notorious Al Qaeda bomb ma&er and trainer %ailed from 2ndonesia and )ami' real name Mo%ammed 9abbara% Nnow &nown as 3t%e source5 for t%e /B2O' a 1> yr old Canadian student' born in 8uwait and educated in Canada' t%e ban&er' were monitored by t%e )inga#ore )ecret 2ntelligence )ervice w%en t%ey arrived in t%e island state and before t%ey could %it t%e Britis% -ig% Commission' as well as t%e American' Australian and 2sraeli embassies( )ami #rovided t%e cell wit% +) E1! !!! to #urc%ase four truc&s and #ac& t%em wit% 1= tons of ammonium nitrate to be #urc%ased from a local trader( News#a#er lea&s in )inga#ore forced t%e aut%orities to #re6em#t t%e let%al truc& bomb o#eration by raiding t%e terrorist<s flat in w%ic% #lans and videota#ed recces were found for bombing cam#aigns #lanned to last for five years( 0%e Americans found a co#y of t%e

video ta#e in Mo%amed Atef<s #ossession in Afg%anistan( 0%e bes#ectacled 3+BA5 of sout% east Asia was one' -ambali' living in %iding but #ulling t%e strings from afar( 0%e )inga#ore truc& bombs would %ave been -ambali<s greatest cou#( 0%e bombers were members of 9amiat el62slamiya' -ambali<s organisation for creating a global fundamentalist 2slamic sout% east Asia reac%ing as far sout% as nort%ern Australia( After defecting to t%e C2AM/B2' )ami %ad maintained contact wit% -ambali t%roug% a secret email address bobmarley1 ;R%otmail(com and learned of %is #lan to launc% a massive bombing cam#aign using as a starting #oint t%e 1 ton of %ig% e@#losives %e %ad concealed in 2ndonesia' t%us warning t%e aut%orities( 2n !!; t%e Britis% )ecret 2ntelligence )ervice learned of an attem#t to smuggle via s%i##ing containers a com#lete radar guided surface to air missile system into t%e #recincts of -eat%row air#ort to ta&e out four or five .umbo .ets at one time( -eat%row air#ort was saturated wit% troo#s' and for t%e first time since t%e Battle of Britain t%e $oyal Air /orce flew combat air #atrols over t%e city of Aondon w%ile two $A/ Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft circled t%e ca#itol %unting for t%e telltale electronic radar emissions( Mo%ammed Naeem Noor 8%an' a ? year old engineering student from 8arac%i' alias Abu 0el%a al6Pa&istani' arrested at Aa%ore in Pa&istan during 9uly !!" stands accused of conducting detailed reconnaissance of -eat%row air#ort wit% a view to bombing t%e terminal w%ic% carries roug%ly :;6:? million #assengers a year( 0%e #lan was to stri&e t%e air#ort itself or t%e under#asses running beneat% several buildings in Aondon' according to Pa&istani intelligence sources( 30%e way 8%an was wor&ing was absolutely astonis%ing( 0%e most c%illing #art of all t%is is t%e fact t%at %e located t%e most fragile s#ots for t%eir targets during %is several visits in Britain as well as t%e safe #assage to esca#e after carrying out t%ese attac&s5( 2n 9anuary !!; 8%an met wit% Al Qaeda strategist' 8%alid bin6al Attas%' w%o allegedly masterminded t%e attac& on t%e +)) Cole( Attas%' now under arrest and in +) custody' too& 8%an under %is wing and %el#ed %im develo# %is already formidable s&ills in t%e art of surveillance( Anot%er colleague was Ali Mo%ammed' w%o %olds .oint +)64gy#tian nationalities' and w%o served in t%e +) Army( -e #layed a #ivotal #art in t%e 1>>D attac&s on t%e +) embassies( -e e@#lained to 8%an t%at bin6Aaden %imself %ad overloo&ed t%e -eat%row attac& #lans( 8%an %ad attended a number of Al Qaeda training cam#s in Afg%anistan and is &nown to %ave im#ressed t%e grou#<s leaders wit% %is decry#tion abilities( At : ft inc%es 8%an visited t%e +)' Germany and t%e +8 on several occasions between 1>>D and !!;( Britain<s )ecurity )ervice NM2?O are trying to discover w%om %e contacted in t%e +8' t%oug% intelligence analysts are fairly certain t%at t%e data is on %is la#to#( 0%roug%out %is o#erational career 8%an used dis#osable email accounts( Ai&e -us%mail' t%e email accounts are accessible via a website( 8%an first began communicating wit% Al Qaeda cells using suc% encry#ted messages but t%en started leaving messages at different sites simultaneously( 0%is was to be %is downfall as t%e #owerful com#uters of GC-Q and N)A eventually trac&ed %im down( One of t%e emails forwarded by 8%an was to a Aondon6based man t%oug%t to be using t%e codename Bilal( 2t was t%is message t%at #rom#ted raids on four locations across

t%e +8 on ;rd August !!"( New )cotland Lard anti6terrorist officers arrested eleven men in and around Aondon' and two men in nort%ern 4ngland( One of t%ose detained is t%e alleged leader of Al Qaeda<s Britis% cell( 0%ese interrogations revealed t%at t%e attac& on Britain was now in its advanced stages( Mr Abu 4isa al6-indi' a Britis% raised 2ndian &nown as al6Britani according to t%e )e#tember 11t% Commission $e#ort' was arrested in Britain on ;rd August !!"( -e was t%e surveyor of America<s financial establis%ments and %ad already been identified by Britis% intelligence services as a ; year old -indi convert w%o %ad #ossibly given t%e game away by #ublis%ing under %is nom de guerre a memoir of %is e@#eriences of 9i%ad in 2ndian controlled 8as%mir( -e is allegedly one of t%e main com#ilers of t%e com#uter files on t%e la#to# ca#tured wit% 8%an in Pa&istan( Britain<s )ecurity )ervice NM2?O is said to be #rofoundly concerned over t%e revelations in early !!" of t%e .oint Bulgarian6$umanian NintelligenceO o#eration to infiltrate a %uge number of slee#er o#eratives into Britain concealed amongst genuine economic refugees( As t%e 4conomic 2ntelligence $eview of Marc%MA#ril !!" warned suc% infiltration may turn out to %ave been associated wit% serious corru#tion dee# wit%in t%e +8 immigration service itself( Never slow to sei,e on an o##ortunity it was feared t%at Al Qaeda o#eratives would be amongst t%e alleged refugees( As a conse7uence of t%e maritime t%reat via clandestine container traffic bot% t%e $oyal Navy and t%e +nited )tates Navy %ave commenced s%i# interce#tions at sea c%ec&ing cargoes and crew manifests( )atellites lin&ed to maritime intelligence c%annels closely monitor international s%i##ing movements and confirmed #orts of origin and destinations see&ing irregularities and incongruities( )ome !!! interce#tions %ave been conducted t%is year alone by t%e +nited )tates and t%e +8 acting under NA0O aegis( As far bac& as !! it was evident to Britis% intelligence sources t%at an Al Qaeda o#eration was in t%e #lanning to %i.ac& a merc%ant or #assenger vessel and use it as a deadly wea#on( More recently #lans %ave been e@#osed to %i.ac& a cruise liner in t%e Mediterranean #ac&ed wit% %oliday ma&ers( Ot%er #lans %ave involved using a number of rogue cargo vessels( )#ea&ing to t%e maritime #ublication Aloyd<s Aist' t%e $oyal Navy<s /irst )ea Aord' )ir Alan *est' revealed t%e contents of an electronic file recovered from a com#uter owned by a senior Al Qaeda terrorist( 0%e searc%es and interdictions on t%e %ig% seas %ave turned u# some astonis%ing finds( 2n Canada' t%e Canadian )ecret 2ntelligence )ervice interce#ted' wit% t%e %el# of t%e /B2' an Al Qaeda team attem#ting to smuggle a suitcase si,e nuclear device into central C%icago' believed to be one of a 1!! suc% diabolical wea#ons built by t%e 8GB in t%e %eady days of t%e cold war for use in 4uro#e' of w%ic% :! %ad been released to t%e Americans and t%e Britis% for analysis and dismantling( As recently as 1>>D an insider #lan was %atc%ed at one of $ussia<s largest nuclear facilities to steal 1D'? &ilograms of %ig% enric%ed uranium( Bot% #lots were foiled( 0%e Al Qaeda bomb team were interce#ted before t%ey could reac% t%e +) or lin& u# wit% t%e cell res#onsible for #roviding t%e bomb( 0%e +) administration are currently %olding 9ose Padilla' a ;; year old C%icago gangster' trained in Afg%anistan and

rede#loyed in C%icago to manufacture a radiological dirty bomb using data from t%e internet( On 0%ursday' Marc% 11t% !!" in Madrid' at !=%;= on four se#arate and densely #ac&ed commuter trains a massive series of e@#losions triggered by cell #%one detonated ten #owerful bombs in bac&#ac&s &illing 1>; wit%in two minutes' %os#italising >::' in.uring over '!:1' colla#sing t%e )#anis% Government and leading to t%e wit%drawal of )#anis% troo#s from 2ra7( 2t was t%e #erfect terrorist event unfat%omable violence against numerous innocents' leading t%e society at large' t%us t%oroug%ly intimidated' to vote in a new government t%at #romised to do and t%en did' t%e bidding of t%e terrorists( /ollowing t%e Madrid attac&s Al Qaeda issued t%e following statement in t%e Arabic news#a#er Al6Qudi al6ArabiB 30%is is #art of settling old accounts wit%in )#ain' t%e crusades and America<s ally in it war on 2slamC*e announce t%e good news for Muslims in t%e world t%at t%e stri&e of t%e blac& wind of deat%' t%e e@#ected stri&e against America is now at its final stage >!P ready and it is coming soon(5 )#ain is Al Qaeda<s second most im#ortant target in 4uro#e' wit% 0ur&ey first' because +BA feels constrained to recover t%e %onour and glory of t%e Ottoman Cali#%ates lost w%en defeated by *estern forces at t%e end of t%e 1st *orld *ar( )#ain remains t%e second 4uro#ean target in order to recover t%e lost Muslim &ingdom of Andalusia( At t%e start of t%e crusades in 1!>:' =?P of )#ain was Muslim but ;!! years later' /erdinand and 2sabella com#leted t%e Cat%olic con7uest of )#ain and e@#elled all Muslims from t%e area( 0%e %umiliation %as never been forgotten nor forgiven in t%e 2slamic world' even :?! years later( After )#ain' according to t%e fatwas' t%e ne@t target in 4uro#e will be $ome' 3t%e world centre of %eresy5' because of t%e Fatican and t%e Po#e( 0%e fourt% ma.or target is Fienna' because t%e advancing Muslim armies were defeated t%ere in 1:"; before t%ey could con7uer t%e continent( 2n 9une !!" Al Qaeda ratc%eted u# t%e war in )audi Arabia( Attac&s were directed against *estern e@#atriate wor&ers connected to t%e defence and energy fields( 0%e rising tension focused attention on Al Qaeda<s #ublic face inside t%e &ingdom Abdel A,i, al6Mu7rin( But al6Mu7rin is only one #iece of a muc% larger multi6layered structure involving t%ousands of Al Qaeda members de#loyed t%roug%out t%e oil ric% &ingdom( 0%e war in )audi Arabia entered a new #%ase in mid6 !!"' wit% Al Qaeda lin&ed militants focussing on lone *esterners in $iyad%( 0%e scene was already being set by t%e )audi government t%emselves in 9anuary !!; w%en $iyad% refused #ermission for *as%ington to use its )audi bases in its attac& on 2ra7( 2n Marc% !!; t%e +) announced t%at it was closing its multi6million dollar bases across )audi Arabia and in 9uly !!" t%e +) Congress voted to sto# +) financial aid and assistance to )audi Arabia( 0%e 9uly 1 t% !!" edition of /ortune maga,ine describes returning +) e@#atriates relating un#recedented %arassment by )audis' ob.ects t%rown at cars' )audis #ointing fingers out of car windows to simulate #istols' and obscenities s%outed at foreigners

wit% no #rovocation( Control $is&s Grou#' a cor#orate ris& consultant in Aondon' estimates t%at #er%a#s 1!! !!! *esterners including ? !!! Britis% and ! !!! to ;! !!! Americans are em#loyed in t%e 8ingdom in industries ranging from oil to software( Com#anies %ave been re6evaluating t%eir staffing levels and t%eir #olicies on de#endents( 0%at can only %urt bot% American and )audi interests( Al6Mu7rin %as been identified as t%e #ublic face of Al6Qaeda and t%e military mastermind be%ind attac&s ranging from t%e 1st May raid against an energy firm in Lanbu in w%ic% several wor&ers were &illed to t%e deadly attac& and %ostage incident on May >t% at a residential com#ound in 8%obar( Contrary to #o#ular belief' Al6Mu7rin is not t%e leader of Al6Qaeda( -e is a #o#ular' c%arismatic military commander in a %ig%ly com#le@ .i%adist networ&( 0%e breadt% and de#t% of Al6Qaeda<s #resence in t%e &ingdom is far greater t%an admitted by t%e )audi Government and understanding t%e structure %el#s e@#lain not only t%e recent attac&s but also t%e strategic goals of t%e organisation( Al6Mu7rin %as t%e street credibility and e@#erience to lead t%e terror offensive %aving trained in Afg%anistan' and re#utedly foug%t in Algeria' Bosnia and )omalia( -e is in %is ;!s and is &nown to %ave run a variety of combat and logistics o#erations in su##ort of .i%adist movements including running guns from 4uro#e to Nort% Africa( 8nown also as Abu -a.ar' %e served several #rison terms in )audi Arabia after being a##re%ended in 4t%io#ia( But being t%e face of Al6Qaeda is not t%e same as being t%e brain( 0%e militants active in t%e 8ingdom are #art of a loosely structured nation6wide networ& establis%ed over t%e #ast several years wit% t%ree clear layers and t%ousands of members( /ew #eo#le &now members outside t%eir own cell and only a select few are involved in &ey decisions at t%e %ig%est levels( At t%e to# of t%e movement sits a committee t%at could be li&ened to t%e 4@ecutive Board of a large cor#oration( 0%e committee is res#onsible for ma&ing command decisions' determining t%e ty#e and e@tent of ma.or attac&s and target selection( 0%is leaders%i# #resides over t%e entire Al6Qaeda networ& wit%in t%e 8ingdom' com#rising t%ree concentric layers t%at are based on seniority' e@#erience and training( 2t is an elite grou# including religious sc%olars' tribal elders and s%ei&%s' members of t%e merc%ant and business elite and sym#at%i,ers wit%in t%e military' t%e national guard' intelligence and ot%er security forces t%e core( 0%e core also #rovide muc% of t%e finance for terror using a well establis%ed secret underground ban&ing networ&( 0%is involves one ban& in one country #urc%asing goods for a transaction in anot%er on be%alf of a client elsew%ere( 0%e original re7uest becomes concealed( 0%e blend wit% legitimate business activities on a world wide basis ma&es tracing of t%e original financial in.ections very difficult if not downrig%t im#ossible( 0o e@amine but one individual e@am#le emanating from wit%in t%is core grou# it is instructive to e@amine t%e CF of +BA<s o#erational nd in command #o#ularly &nown as Abu Musab al6Qar7awi but born A%med Na,,al al68%alayle% born in 1>:: and %ailing from 9ordan( -e dro##ed out of sc%ool to %el# fig%t t%e $ussians during t%eir

occu#ation of Afg%anistan( $eturning to 9ordan %e was arrested and gaoled wit% ot%er militants for = years( $eleased in 1>>> but rearrested for #lotting to &ill American tourists' %e fled to Pa&istan' but was sentenced to deat% in absentia by t%e 9ordanian Government( -e eventually travelled bac& to Afg%anistan and found %imself fig%ting alongside Al6 Qaeda terrorists( By !!! as a reward for %is dedication +BA gave %im %is own training cam# at -erat w%ere %e instructed %undreds of #eo#le on t%e manufacture of ma&es%ift c%emical wea#ons' mine laying and bomb manufacturing( A few mont%s later %e was given S ! !!! sterling of +BA<s money and told to attac& +) and *estern targets round t%e world( -e establis%ed a remote terrorist base in t%e mountains of nort%ern 2ra7 and formed %is own grou# Ansar al62slam( After >11 t%e C2A made strenuous efforts to uncover all associated terrorist grou#s and t%eir leaders( Al6Qar7awi was already described as #rominent( *%en +) and Britis% forces in su##ort of t%e Nort%ern Alliance attac&ed t%e 0aliban and Al6Qaeda #ositions' al6Qar7awi raced bac& to %el#( -e lost a limb in a roc&et attac& and was seriously %urt( $egarded wit% esteem by +BA w%o feared t%e damage %is ca#ture mig%t inflict on Al6Qaeda' a #lan was drawn u# to smuggle %im out of t%e country as +) soldiers 7uic&ly freed Afg%anistan of foreign fig%ters( Al6Qar7awi and %is grou#' com#rising mainly fig%ters from C%ec%nya' eventually found t%emselves in 2ran( 0%e C2A t%en lost trac& of %im until one officer lin&ed %im wit% t%e October !! murder of defenceless +) di#lomat' Aaurence /oley' in Amman( 0%e elusive 9ordanian was o#erational again( During t%e early stages of t%e 2ra7i war t%e C2A believed t%at %e was %iding in an a#artment in Bag%dad( A missile stri&e was ordered but due to an electronic malfunction failed to %it t%e target( 0%e fugitive esca#ed across t%e 2ra7i border( )ince t%en %e %as t%reatened to &ill t%ousands of 2sraelis and intends to launc% a string of attac&s in 9ordan of w%ic% t%e massive c%emical finds by t%e 9ordanian security forces recently are doubtless a com#onent( -e %as t%reatened to detonate a c%emical bomb inside 2srael( 0%e C2A is confident t%at %e will be a##re%ended eventually( -e is regarded as t%e mastermind be%ind t%e &idna##ing and brutal murder by be%eading of Britis% construction engineer 8en Bigley and %is two American colleagues in )e#temberMOctober !!"( 0%e 3core5 originally numbered :!! to 1 !!! members but %as s%run& to ;!! t%an&s to t%e +) led international military dragnet( 0%ey mig%t &now eac% ot%er but do not necessarily &now t%at t%ey all su##ort Al6Qaeda( )ome of t%em are &nown to )audi intelligence and are in %iding( Ot%ers lie dormant' t%eir allegiance un&nown to $iyad%( A t%ird set is too well connected or too #owerful to be c%allenged by t%e )audi government( 0%e most visibly active layer' tier two' com#rises t%e 9i%adists w%o are t%e veterans of t%e Afg%anistanM0aliban e@#erience( 0%ey %ave all #ledged #ersonal allegiance to +BA and are well trained in tactical combat o#erations( 8nown to t%e intelligence services of t%e current Afg%an government' Pa&istan' )audi Arabia and #ossibly 2ran and Lemen' t%ey remain in %iding until de#loyed for o#erations( 0%ey are t%e military

%ierarc%y of t%e movement and are believed to be serving as advisers w%ile #roviding logistical su##ort( 0ier two %ave t%eir own second' middle layer wit% t%e most members ? !!! to : !!! o#eratives' D!P of t%em in t%e 8ingdom wit% t%e ot%ers in t%e Arabian #eninsula' Algeria and 4gy#t( 0%e second layer does not %ave a formal oat% to +BA( Most %ave %ad o#erational e@#erience in Central Asia' t%e Caucasus and t%e Bal&ans( Al6Mu7rin seems to be #art of t%is second layer w%o received military training in Afg%anistan u# until t%e +) invasion following >11( 0%e ma.or attac&s in $iyad%' Lanbu and 8%obar #robably emanate from t%is grou#( 0%e t%ird grou# com#rise t%e new recruits w%o %ave floc&ed to t%e movement since >11' and t%e Afg%anM2ra7 wars( 0%ey number in t%eir t%ousands com#rising madrassa Nreligious sc%oolO students and %undreds of younger ulema w%o wor&ed for t%e )audi government but were disc%arged for t%eir #olitical unreliability and loyalty to +BA( Members of t%is grou# %ave been involved in t%e individual s%ootings of westerners( 0raining cam#s for Al6Qaeda %ave been establis%ed inside t%e 8ingdom and t%is t%ird set of militants are conducting t%e training( 0%ree to four suc% cam#s %ave been located by t%e )audi security forces but locating ot%er small bases in t%e mountainous sout%6western region or t%e valleys of t%e nort%6west is a difficult tas& for t%e 8ingdom<s ine@#erienced and ill6trained security forces( )ym#at%etic su##ort from tribal grou#s and members of nomadic caravans #rovide intelligence to t%e militants of )audi C2 o#erations( 0%e layers of t%e organisation interact t%roug% a com#le@ set of relations w%ic% is a function of t%e evolution of Al6Qaeda itself( 0%e movement functions not so muc% as an organisation t%an as a university' offering military instruction to its attendees( During its #ea& years Al6Qaeda #roduced "! !!! militants in Afg%anistan according to )audi and Pa&istani sources( Between t%e launc%ing of t%e *orld /ront for 9i%ad Against 9ews and Crusaders Movement in 1>>D and t%e >11 attac&s' a##ro@imately 11 !!! of t%ose o#eratives returned to t%e 8ingdom from 8abul in #re#aration for t%e current offensive( Al6 Qaeda &nows t%at it cannot control 9i%adist movements everyw%ere so it e@tends great autonomy to regional and local structures and delegates res#onsibility( *it%in t%is web certain differences of o#inion are bound to arise but t%e overall goals of wea&ening e@isting regimes t%roug% locally based and locally su##orted militancy only underscore Al6Qaeda<s efforts to destroy government o##osition to its influence in t%e Middle 4ast( 0%ere are roug%ly " million #eo#le in t%e 8ingdom' one fift% of w%om are foreign wor&ers( 0%e country is one fift% t%e si,e of t%e +)A( 0%e militants are indiscernible from t%e rest of t%e native #o#ulation and t%eir numbers allow t%em to conduct o#erations t%roug%out t%e &ingdom( Moreover' t%ere are sym#at%i,ers among t%e non6 militant #o#ulation w%o su##ort +BA' stretc%ing as far as t%e lower elements of t%e ruling )audi family(

*%at %as been %a##ening in )audi Arabia is roug%ly du#licated in Pa&istan( 2t %as been a long time in coming and it is ta##ing into t%e intense anti6American sentiment stirred by t%e conflicts in 2ra7 and Afg%anistan and t%e anti6)audi r%etoric in t%e +) media( 2n t%e coming mont%s t%e movement will only intensify its activities as more members s%ift to active mode even w%en ta&ing action is not%ing more ta@ing t%an t%e occasional #ot s%ot at westerners driving t%eir )+Fs %ome from wor&( 0%e de#t% and breadt% of t%e militant movement ma&es #redicting attac&s wit% any #recision difficult' if not im#ossible( )ince t%e layers are divided and wit%in eac% layer t%ere are do,ens of cells' any one of t%em could #lan and e@ecute an attac&' w%ile ot%ers are lying dormant or #lanning t%eir own stri&es( As Aarry Abra%ams %as #ointed out t%is global war is w%at t%e .i%adists t%emselves are calling t%e 30%ird Great 9i%ad5 and in a sense %istory is re#eating itself( 0%ey are o#erating wit%in t%e framewor& of a time line w%ic% reac%es bac& to t%e very creation of 2slam in t%e 1=t% century( 0%ey are #resently trying to recreate t%e dynamics w%ic% gave rise to t%e religion in t%e first two %undred years of its e@istence( No religion in %istory grew as fast in its infancy( 0%e ra#id s#read of 2slam t%roug%out t%e Middle 4ast and Nort% Africa began wit% t%e con7uests launc%ed from Mecca and Medina by Mu%ammed( Mu%ammed %imself #artici#ated in =D battles' only one of w%ic% Nt%e battle of Ditc%O was defensive( -e died in :; AD' and over t%e ne@t %undred years .i%ad N%oly warO e@#anded t%e 2slamic em#ire from nort%ern )#ain to 2ndia( 0%e ra#id s#read of 2slam engulfed t%e Persian )assenid 4m#ire and muc% of t%e C%ristian By,antine em#ire( 0%e *estern $oman 4m#ire was in ruins and t%e 4astern 4m#ire' based on Constantino#le was trying des#erately to retain t%e #ower of its earlier grandeur w%ile transitioning to C%ristianity as a de facto state religion( 0%e costs to t%e average #erson were large as %e was being constantly re7uired to meet t%e rising ta@es levied by t%e state wit% t%e tit%es coerced by t%e C%urc%( 2slam offered t%e carrot or t%e sword( Convert and eliminate your ta@es or die( 0%ere were very few willing martyrs and t%e fait% s#read li&e wildfire until C%arles Martel' fat%er of C%arlemagne' sto##ed t%e invaders of 4uro#e at t%e Battle of 0ours in /rance( By 1"> t%e Muslims %ad been e@#elled from )#ain at t%e battle of Granada( 0%is was t%e first .i%ad( 0%e 3)econd Great 9i%ad5 came wit% t%e Ottoman 0ur&s colla#sing Constantino#le as a C%ristian strong%old and ending $oman %egemony for all time( 0%e Ottoman 4m#ire was 2slam<s most successful e@#ansion of territory even t%oug% t%e religion itself %ad fractured into warring sects and bitter rivalries wit% claims and counter6 claims over w%o enca#sulated t%e 3ultimate trut%5( Britain eventually colla#sed t%e Ottoman 4m#ire in **2 led by t%e famous Colonel 0(4( Aawrence Nof Arabia fameO culminating in General )ir 4dmund Allenby entering 9erusalem on foot in t%e name of C%ristendom towards t%e end of t%e war( 0%e strategy for t%e #resent 9i%ad began wit% t%e to##ling of t%e )%a% of 2ran in t%e late 1>=!s( As Paul 9o%nson wrote in 3A -istory of t%e Modern *orld5' t%e )%a%<s efforts to westernise %is country' %is ties to t%e +) and +8' and subdued acce#tance of 2srael' made %im a soft target( *it% t%e %el# of President Carter<s )tate De#artment t%e )%a% was de#osed' %is armed forces scattered or murdered and t%e stage was set for a base of o#erations bac&ed by oil wealt% to establis% t%e 3Great Cali#%ate5(

*%at t%is design calls for is t%e re#lacement of all secular leaders%i# in any country wit% Muslim ma.orities( 0%is would include 4gy#t' 0ur&ey' Pa&istan' 2ndonesia' all t%e 4mirates' )udan' 0unisia' Aibya' Algeria' Morocco' Lemen' )yria' Aebanon' 9ordan' Malaysia' 2ndonesia and t%e 3occu#ied territory5 of 2srael( 0%e long range strategy of t%e 0%ird 9i%ad relies on four strategic goals( /irst' t%e +) wit%drawing from t%e region .ust as it did in )4 Asia after Fietnam( )econdly' t%e core ta&ing control of t%e %ydrocarbon wealt% in t%e Muslim countries w%ic% com#rise u#wards of =?P of #roven global reserves( 0%irdly' t%e core using nuclear wea#ons or ot%er *MDs to obliterate 2srael( /ourt%ly' ma&ing t%e +N t%e sole arbiter in 4astM*est relations and #aralysing western resistance( 0%ere is a fift% as#ect to t%ese ob.ectives' less well defined or deliberate #er%a#s' but nonet%eless frig%teningly relevant( 2slam is gradually' but seemingly irresistibly' ta&ing over 4uro#e demogra#%ically and if trends continue' will dominate t%e continental 4uro#ean %eartland wit%in ?! to 1!! years( As Mona C%aren wrote in 0%e *as%ington 0imes of 11 October !!"' $ussia is s#iralling down into dictators%i# after a brief interlude of struggling democracy( Nort% 8orea' arms salesmen to t%e world<s criminals' boasts of nuclear ca#ability' t%ousands are dying in Darfur and innocent aid wor&ers are be%eaded in 2ra7' but it is t%e +nited )tates w%ic% catc%es most of t%e critical fla& from 4uro#e( )%e writes' 30%ere is somet%ing sic&ly about t%e 4uro#ean a##roac% to t%e world( 0%ere may even be somet%ing suicidal to it( 4uro#eans e@coriate America even as t%ey stand on 7uic&sand( 2n w%at Middle 4astern sc%olar Daniel Pi#es calls t%e biggest story of our time' 4uro#eans are disa##earing( 3 30%e minimum birt% rate to &ee# a society going is (1 c%ildren #er woman( 4uro#e<s birt% rate is 1(? and falling( 0%e immigrants ta&ing t%e #lace of Germans' /renc%' 2talians and ot%ers are largely Muslim( 2n contrast to t%e religious native 4uro#eans' Muslim immigrants are #assionate about t%eir fait% and %ig%ly fertile( 2t is estimated t%at in 4ngland' Muslims wors%i##ing at mos7ues already outnumber congregants of t%e C%urc% of 4ngland every wee&end( 3 About ?P of t%e 4+ is now Muslim' and %istorian Bernard Aewis told a German news#a#er t%at 4uro#e would be ma.ority 2slamic by t%e end of t%is century at t%e latest( At #resent more t%an 1?P of t%e 1:6 " age grou# in /rance is Muslim and Muslims also account for ?P of t%e #o#ulation in Marseilles' and !P in Malmo' )weden( 0%e current Muslim minority in 4uro#e will double in si,e by !1?( Political correctness seems to in%ibit t%e 4uro#eans from even discussing t%e issue rationally and seriously( 0%e Aondon based 2nternational 2nstitute for )trategic )tudies believes t%at Al6Qaeda is regrou#ing and %as 1D !!! terrorists available in :! countries for o#erations against t%e *est( 0%e de#loyment of Britis% and American troo#s %as given im#etus to t%e grou#<s recruiting #rogramme( 0%e 1D !!! estimate was based on ! !!! terrorists trained in cam#s in Afg%anistan( !!! Al6Qaeda o#eratives were &nown to %ave been &illed or ca#tured' but t%e overall infrastructure of t%e organisation remained intact and develo#ing(

As t%e Director of $esearc% at t%e +) 2nternational )trategic )tudies Association and -ead of t%e Congressional 0as& /orce on 0errorism and +nconventional *arfare of t%e +) -ouse of $e#resentatives' Losef Bodans&y says' even a cursory e@amination of t%e global war on terror is not comforting( 2ra7 is seriously unstable' t%e outcome of massive infiltration and an escalating grassroots rebellion( A wave of terrorism engulfs )audi Arabia( Afg%anistan is factionalised due to revived fratricidal warfare( Pa&istan teeters on t%e brin& of civil war due to mounting grassroots o##osition to President Perve, Mus%araf<s co6o#eration wit% t%e *est( 0%e C%ec%ens %ave escalated t%eir terror war on $ussia by indiscriminately slaug%tering t%e sc%ool c%ildren of Beslan( 0%e -amas e@tremists #ersist in 2srael' notwit%standing t%e e@tensive attrition rate of t%eir leaders%i# by t%e 2sraeli security forces( On 9uly =t% !!? at t%e %eig%t of t%e morning rus% %our' t%e central Aondon underground trans#ort system was sub.ected to t%ree se#arate suicide bomb attac&s and wit%in t%e %our anot%er e@#losion occurred on a double dec&er bus' &illing ?" #eo#le and in.uring over a %undred( 0%e &illers used bac&#ac&s wit% cell #%one triggers( *it%in %ours New )cotland Lard<s 90AC N9oint 0errorism Action CentreO &new t%at all t%e deceased bombers were Britis% born( 2n days t%eir addresses and relatives %ad been identified and located( *it%in two wee&s anot%er series of attem#ted bombings occurred w%ile security and intelligence #ersonnel were still mo##ing u# after t%e first atrocity( 0%e second attac& was a dismal failure( 0%e actual and would6be bombers were all caug%t on Aondon<s Mandra&e CC0F 3ring of steel5 counter6intelligence and surveillance system' set u# at e@traordinary e@#ense in res#onse to t%e 2$A assaults on t%e ca#itol( As t%e faces' #%otogra#%s and names of t%e terrorists were flas%ed round t%e world' Mandra&e more t%an #aid its way( )us#ects were a##re%ended in t%e +nited 8ingdom' $ome and Qambia( 0%e latter %ad fled to )out% Africa and wor&ed for a brief time in /ordsburg' 9o%annesburg under +)' +8 and )out% African intelligence surveillance before %is arrest w%en crossing from Qimbabwe to Qambia( 0%e day of t%e first attac& a website re#resenting t%e )ecret Organisation of Al6 Qaeda<s 9i%ad claimed res#onsibility for t%e bombings in revenge for Britis% 3military massacres5 in 2ra7 and Afg%anistan( 0%e bombings coincided wit% t%e GD -eads of )tate Conference at Gleneagles in )cotland( 0%e attac& was inter#reted by some as a last ditc% effort to resuscitate Al6Qaeda<s terrorist offensive ca#ability' and by ot%ers as a sign t%at t%e organi,ation was ca#able of stri&ing w%en and w%ere it c%ooses in well co6ordinated attac&s wit% committed #ersonnel w%o are fanatically motivated to ma&e t%e ultimate sacrifice as and w%en needed( Neit%er of t%ese analyses mar&ed t%e most %orrific revelation of t%e Aondon e@#erience t%at Muslims in Britain and doubtless elsew%ere in t%e world were willing to die in fanatical assaults' irres#ective of t%eir nationalities or birt%rig%ts( 0%ese were not a t%reatened' dis#ossessed' disenfranc%ised' intimidated nor a discriminated im#overis%ed #eo#le( 0%ey %ad been born in Britain' educated in Britain' em#loyed in Britain and nurtured in a traditionally Britis% ambience of tolerance for diversity' understanding for cultural differences' com#assion for t%e less fortunate' subscribing to %uman rig%ts and freedom of s#eec% wit%in t%e conte@t of democratic e@#ression( And yet' t%ey subscribed to none of t%ese t%ings(

On t%e contrary' wit%out %esitation and in absolute rut%lessness t%ey were willing to &ill and maim t%eir innocent fellow nationals and destroy t%emselves in t%e #rocess( 2n ot%er words' as one )&y 0F News #oll revealed' it was only 1 P of Britis% born Muslims w%o regarded t%emselves as Britis% first' and Muslim second( /or t%e rest' being Muslim adumbrated all ot%er loyalties' commitments and res#onsibilities( 0%e full %orror of t%is revelation meant it %ad now become evident t%at t%e world faced an in%erent fift% column of astronomical #ro#ortions w%erever Muslim communities en.oyed citi,ens%i# and sanctuary( 0%is #rom#ted t%in&ing #eo#le in Britain to as&' wit% wry smiles' t%e 7uestion 3Did you ever t%in& you would live to see t%e day t%at a Lor&s%ire man would #lay cric&et in t%e morning and #lot to &ill %is fellow nationals on t%e Aondon underground t%at afternoon5T But it was a misleading r%etorical 7uestion( 0%e alleged Lor&s%ire man did not e@ist( 2rres#ective of %ow many years %e or s%e %ad lived in Britain or indeed %is or %er family %ad resided t%ere' t%e call of t%e Madrassas for 9i%ad and t%e )%aria code of conduct too& #recedence' not in all Muslim minds but in t%e mass #syc%e of a large number of Muslims( 0%e real 7uestion was %ow many 3slee#er5 Al6Qaeda agents and cells were still lur&ing in Britain and elsew%ere in t%e world and w%at counter6intelligence and legislative action could be ado#ted to curb t%em( No country was better #laced to face t%e c%allenge t%an Britain' wit% many years of colonial and #ost6colonial e@#osure to terrorism NMalaya' Cy#rus' Aden' Oman' 8enya' Britis% Guyana etcCO and a renowned legacy from Nort%ern 2reland( Not even 2srael could c%allenge Britain<s su#remacy in managing' if not restraining' terrorism on a global scale( At t%e s%ar# end' wit%in days' Britis% #olice were aut%orised to s%oot to &ill a #olicy w%ic% was to %ave tragic conse7uences for a young illegal Bra,ilian immigrant' 9ean C%arles de Mene,es Nalt%oug% %is deat% w%ile wearing a %eavy .ac&et in summer' running into an underground station and failing to sto# w%en c%allenged by t%e #olice was treated by t%e #ublic as an understandable mista&eO( On t%e legislative front draconian legislation was urgently introduced at *estminster by t%e -ome )ecretary to curtail t%e activities of Muslim leaders and teac%ers None of t%e bombers %ad been a teac%er1O engaging in 3%ate s#eec%5 or incitement( 0%e )#ecial Branc% and M2? e@tended t%eir tentacles into t%e Britis% Muslim community to root out and identify future #ossible terrorists and t%eir #lots w%ile at t%e same time Prime Minister 0ony Blair launc%ed an initiative to reassure loyal members of t%e Britis% Muslim community t%at t%eir lives' families and communities would be res#ected and #rotected( *%et%er or not it was on its last legs Al6Qaeda %ad succeeded in 3u##ing t%e ante5 on a global basis and introducing a new element into t%e international war on terror %ome grown &ami&a,e assaults by virtually unidentifiable terrorists en.oying com#lete freedom of movement in t%eir own nations and societies( But even Arab governments were not immune to t%e disease' alt%oug% t%e urge %ad to be resisted to ascribe every suicide bombing to Al6Qaeda( On 9uly ;rd !!? suicide bombers attac&ed t%e 4gy#tian %oliday and scuba diving resort of )%arm el6)%ei&% in a series of car bomb attac&s w%ic% &illed DD and in.ured %undreds( )us#icion initially centred on several grou#s' one wit% a &nown lin& to Al6 Qaeda' t%en s%ifted to a Bedouin networ& in nort%ern )inai( But t%e modus o#erandi

was little different to Muslim ins#ired suicide bombings elsew%ere in t%e world one of t%e t%ree suicide bombers rammed a #ic&6u# truc& into an %otel lobbyI t%e ot%er two' one in a car and one on foot' were interce#ted at c%ec&#oints but detonated t%eir e@#losives( DNA tests by t%e 4gy#tian #olice uneart%ed a lin& to t%e October !!" 0aba attac&s by Bedouin se#aratists w%ic% %ad &illed " #eo#le( 0%e si,e of t%e 2slamist69i%adist forces round t%e world %as tri#led since mid6 )e#tember !!1 and t%e active su##ort ec%elons %ave grown ten fold( +BA<s loyalists are constantly refining t%eir met%ods and a##roac%es( According to 9osef Bodans&y' t%e +) intelligence community %as re#eatedly failed t%e *%ite -ouse by #roviding scant concrete data and wrong t%reat analyses( As Mar& Nicol %as observed in %is boo& 3+ltimate $is&5 Al Qaeda<s cam#s %ave returned to t%e sout%6east of Afg%anistan' as a terrorist organisation it remains a global t%reat' and t%e ma.ority of its leaders are still at large( Beyond 8abul<s city limits is a lawless' im#overis%ed state' a des#ot<s #aradise wit% sufficient wea#onry to sustain any number of terrorists and #orous borders wit% its neig%bours( 0%ere is little t%at President -amid 8ar,ai can do about t%is w%en sim#ly staying alive is %is %ig%est #riority( Not only are old Al Qaeda cam#s being used again but new ones are being built in t%e east of t%e state to train new volunteers( According to Bodans&y' it %as been t%e des#erate wanting of intelligence t%at %as made t%e im#lementation of President Bus%<s #olicies virtually im#ossible' and at times %as even aggravated t%e #roblems facing t%e +)( 0%e #rimary flaw' %e says' is t%e intellectual isolationism and arrogance of t%e #urveyors of &nowledge to t%e *%ite -ouse involving t%e intelligence system of researc% and analysis( 0%e gravity of t%e crisis of t%e +) intelligence community' #articularly in view of t%e mounting 7uagmire in #ost6)addam 2ra7' is now widely ac&nowledged t%roug%out official *as%ington( *%at is not #ublicly discussed is t%e multi#le source evidence about t%e training in autumn !! of Al Qaeda terrorists by 2ra7i Military 2ntelligence +nit >>> in )alman Pa& or t%e current indications t%at Al Qaeda are #lanning a s#ectacular multi6casualty N#ossibly nuclearO assault on t%e +) in t%e near term( 2n t%e lig%t of t%e )e#tember 11t% Commission findings President George Bus% %as agreed to wor& wit% Congress to #us% t%roug% legislation to reform t%e intelligence services( -e %as also ordered t%e C2A to increase by ?!P its number of assets Ns#iesO and #ersonnel trained in Arabic and *MD researc%( 0%e +)M+8 concern over t%e t%reat to regional %ydrocarbon interests in t%e Middle 4astern region was given concrete e@#ression in an article #ublis%ed in 0%e NAondonO Guardian news#a#er late in !!;( At a #rivate summit meeting between George Bus% and 0ony Blair %eld at t%e President<s 0e@as ranc% in A#ril !! t%e +) and +8 governments co6ordinated and combined t%e %it%erto se#arate strands of t%eir energy and foreign #olicies in a fran& s%aring of strategic analyses and assessments( 0%e emerging #olicy was based u#on a re#ort addressed to bot% t%e President and t%e Prime Minister #re#ared by Don 4vans' t%e +) )ecretary of Commerce and )#encer Abra%am' t%e +) 4nergy )ecretary(

According to t%is news#a#er re#ort' t%e two countries %ave agreed a set of co6 ordinated actions to %el# ac%ieve t%eir common %ydrocarbon energy related ob.ectives wit% t%e Britis% and American oil com#anies %aving been granted favoured access to t%e relevant inter6govenmental discussions and #artici#ation in all t%e meetings( 0%e initiative is now &nown as t%e 3+)6+8 4nergy Dialogue5( 2t focuses in #art u#on 3a number of &ey oil and gas #roducers in t%e *est Africa area u#on w%ic% our two governments and ma.or oil com#anies could co6o#erate so as to im#rove investment conditions' good governance' social and #olitical stability and t%us under#in long term security of su##ly5( 2s t%e nature of t%e t%reat c%angingT 2t is #ossible t%at w%ile America is #re#aring for anot%er 11t% )e#tember' t%e real t%reat is #er%a#s less s#ectacular' more general and more un#redictable( 2t may start resembling some of t%e insurgencies t%at Britain foug%t in t%e last fifty years ranging from Malaya and Oman to Nort%ern 2reland( As a member of t%e $AND cor#oration %as observed' w%ereas t%e Brits are ca#able of ta&ing a longer term view and co#ing wit% a longer term #roblem' Americans are fond of t%e s%ort term 7uic& fi@( 0%e a##ointment of a National Director of 2ntelligence by President Bus% along t%e lines of t%e Britis% 9oint 2ntelligence Committee w%ic% is designed to oversee and co6ordinate all intelligence re#orting may assist *as%ington in refining its national alert system so t%at t%e +) and ot%er #ublics are not s#oradically unduly alarmed over #erceived imminent t%reats to t%e #oint of 3crying wolf5 too often before t%e ne@t big bang occurs( 0%e de#loyment of Britis% troo#s in t%e form of t%e famous Blac& *atc% $egiment Na unit earmar&ed by t%e !!" #ro#osed Britis% Ministry of Defence budget cuts for obliterationO into Cam# Dogwood .ust sout% of Bag%dad #roved revealing( 0%ere is an erroneous view t%at Britis% troo#s in Basra %ave en.oyed a soft war( 2n August !!" Britis% troo#s in Amara%' a town nort% of Basra' fired some ;! !!! rounds at )%ia militiamen in t%e s#ace of ten days( Let t%e towns of 2s&anderiya%' Aatifiya% and Ma%mudiya%' ;! to "? &m sout% of Bag%dad are even more forbidding( Aining t%e sout%ern route to /allu.a%' an im#ortant su##ly route for t%e insurgents' t%e towns are #atrolled but not controlled by American marines( Among t%e many violent crimes common in t%e area' &idna##ing is a s#eciality( As 0%e 4conomist of October ;rd !!" #ut it' t%e standard of view of Britis% soldiers as smiley #eace&ee#ers com#ared wit% America<s trigger %a##y &illers is far too sim#listic as t%e e@#enditure of bullets in Amara% suggests( But it is true t%at t%e Brits are better at building trust wit% t%e locals' and are slower to s%oot at sus#ected enemies and more careful to &ill t%em w%en t%ey do( 0%ese are all lessons t%at t%e +) forces would find %el#ful( )ince )e#tember 1st !!" w%en +) troo#s were de#loyed to $amadi' t%ey %ave &illed "!! to ?!! #eo#le according to one of t%eir senior officers( A more #recise estimate is im#ossible because t%e marines seldom see t%eir attac&ers( *%en fired u#on t%ey retaliate by bli,ting w%ic%ever buildings t%ey t%in& t%e fire is coming from( 0%ese actions are brutally counter6#roductive( But t%e marines are also learning( )ince occu#ying $amadi t%ey %ave learned to #atrol at %ig% s#eed and on foot' Belfast style' sending sni#ers on to t%e roofto#s a%ead' along streets daubed wit% slogansB 3)low Daet% NsicO5 and 3America Down5( During t%e fig%ting in /allu.a% "! miles east of $amadi t%e marines invented a new acronym /2)- fig%ting in someone<s %ouse

w%ic% involves tossing a grenade into eac% room before c%ec&ing it for 3un6 friendlies5 or Mu. for s%ort( America<s newest war tec%nology is also on dis#lay and ma&es for im#ressive results but also ma&es it virtually im#ossible for close collaboration wit% %er less tec%nically so#%isticated allies' including t%e Brits( *itness t%e )try&er' a lig%tly armoured troo# carrier w%ic% delivers soldiers at %ig% s#eed to t%e trouble s#ots( As t%e )try&ers ma&e t%eir lig%tning das%es' %ig% s#eed com#uters trac& t%eir movements dis#laying constantly u#dated satellite dis#lay ma#s of t%e surrounding areasI a digitising of warfare w%ic% confounds t%e ability of any ally to fig%t %ig%6intensity battles at America<s side( +) logistical su##ort is not%ing but five star first class wit% troo#s slee#ing in smart %eated cabins en.oying tasty food' e@cellent gymnasiums and internet access( )uc% benefits are dreams for Britis% troo#s once %oused in disused s%i##ing containers w%ile on active service in Nort%ern 2reland( Let armies can be good at war fig%ting or good at #eace6&ee#ing' but rarely good at bot%( *%en +) troo#s' w%o are well trained' su#erbly e7ui##ed and well fed' attem#t subtler tas&s suc% as winning %earts and minds t%ey are often ine#t to t%e #oint of ab.ect clumsiness( 4ven t%e best of t%em seem dismally ignorant of t%e #eo#le t%ey %ave come to %el#' unsur#risingly #er%a#s' w%en #ractically no American fig%ters s#ea& Arabic( 0%e marine battalion in $amadi survives wit% only four translators and often +) troo#s des#air of t%eir 2ra7i interlocutors observing #redictably t%at 3t%ey are not li&e Americans5( American marines and G2s fre7uently dis#lay contem#t for 2ra7is' civilian or official( -ence t%e 1D year old soldier from 0e@as in Mosul w%o' confronted by a grou# of screaming sc%ool c%ildren' returned t%e com#liment by firing canisters of buc&s%ot at t%em from %is grenade launc%er or t%e marines in $amadi w%o smas%ed down doors of %ouses at random to confront terrified middle6aged women wit% s%outs of 3Bitc%' w%ere<s t%e gunsT5 Many 2ra7is are #robably more scared of American troo#s t%an of t%e insurgents( 0%e insurgency %as dee#ened and s#read( Original estimates #ut t%e figure at ? !!! including many foreign e@tremists( 0%at figure %as been revised to ! !!! wit% !!! foreigners' e@cluding t%e t%ousands of %ostiles &illed by American and Britis% troo#s( 0%e 2ra7i 2ntelligence Minister rec&oned in December !!" t%at t%ere were !! !!! activists of w%om "! !!! were 3%ard core5' in %is terms' lined u# against 1?! !!! +) troo#s and 1! !!! Britis% soldiers( *it% insurgents re#ortedly dis#ensing criminal .ustice and levying ta@es some +) officers says t%ey are running a 3#arallel administration5( 0owards t%e end of !!" insurgents be%eaded t%ree #rofessional &idna##ers and set u# FCPs Nve%icle c%ec& #ointsO attired in stolen 2ra7i #olice uniforms( 2n 0al Afar' furt%er west' t%ey im#osed a ?P cut in t%e meat #rice( 0%e Americans estimate t%at since /allu.a% 1 :!! of t%e enemy %ave been &illed( 2n 1" of t%e 1D #rovinces in t%e country t%ere are fewer t%an four attac&s #er mont% on coalition forces( 2t is t%e e7uivalent of %aving insurrection in all t%e +) states w%ic% voted for t%e Democratic #arty in t%e +) elections( Among t%e treasures found in t%e /allu.a% o#erations were "!! arms cac%es and an ice cream van &itted out as a mobile car bomb wor&s%o#( 2n t%e last t%ree wee&s of November w%en t%e battle began' t%e incidence of car bombs across 2ra7 di##ed from "" #er wee& to ;; and t%en ( After

a bloody )e#tember and October w%en t%e marines faced u# to > 2m#rovised 4@#losive Devices N24DsO a day and foug%t street battles wit% scores of insurgents at a time' t%e #ast mont% %as rendered one 24D every few days and a %andful of serious ambus%es( 2n November one in four +) su##ly convoys was being ambus%ed but now softer 2ra7i targets are being c%osen' suc% as t%e 2ra7i security forces' t%e oil infrastructure and 2ra7is assisting t%e Americans and t%e Britis% in t%eir reconstruction efforts( 0%ree mont%s ago +) officials overseeing reconstruction in Mosul were lobbied by ;! 2ra7i contractors on average #er day( Now t%ey struggle to find even one brave enoug% to acce#t t%eir dollars( Only four #rovinces witness really serious ongoing assaults Bag%dad' Anbar' )ala% ad Din and Ninewa( But as t%ey include t%e ca#ital city' t%e t%ird biggest city NMosulO and t%e %omeland of most of t%e )unnis' t%ey are no small #roblem( Barely si@ mont%s ago Mosul was one of t%e most tran7uil s#ots in 2ra7( Now it is one of t%e most violent' and least #oliced( 2t may be no coincidence t%at until last 9anuary t%ere were ! !!! +) troo#s billeted t%ere and led by a most dynamic commander( *it% troo#s needed elsew%ere t%ey were re#laced by D ?!! troo#s' of w%om =!! were diverted to /allu.a% and Bag%dad( *estern Ninewa com#rises a vast region dotted wit% fiercely @eno#%obic towns and ending in over !! miles of unfenced border wit% )yria( America %as D!! troo#s t%ere yet t%ey are barely able to %old t%e town of 0al Afar' w%ere t%ey are based( *%en al6 Qar7awi was said to be #reac%ing in t%e town<s mos7ues' a battle' #recursor to /allu.a%' bro&e out in w%ic% D! civilians were &illed by crossfire and !! buildings flattened( 2n November t%e insurgents blew u# t%e #olice stations of t%e town( 0%e local #olice c%ief and %is bodyguards are t%e only #olicemen still wor&ing and %e c%anges %is disguise several times a day( *%en +) forces visited t%e nearby smuggler<s town of Bai. w%ere t%ey %ad not been for t%ree mont%s' t%ey did so in force 1 !!! troo#s wit% A#ac%e %elico#ter guns%i#s circling over%ead as escort( 0%e target com#rised t%ree %ouses in t%e town centre w%ic% signal intelligence %ad lin&ed to al6Qar7awi( 0%ere was no furt%er intelligence to su##ort t%e mission ot%er t%an t%at #rovided by a co6o#erative informant from t%e local Ay,idi tribe' t%e main +) ally in t%e area( 0%e source claimed t%at t%ere was a wounded Lemeni rebel in t%e town( *omen and c%ildren were found in t%e t%ree identified %ouses' Bai.<s local #olice station %ad been demolis%ed and its #olice vanis%ed( 0%e town<s 4nglis% s#ea&ing former Mayor was fran& about t%e town<s allegiances( 30%ere are terrorists %ere' not from )yria' not from Mosul' but from Bai.( )ome are Baat%ists and some are 2slamists and before t%ey %ated eac% ot%er' but now t%ey wor& toget%er' and t%ey tell #eo#le t%at if t%ey do not wor& wit% t%em' t%ey will &ill t%em(5 Mr /a%ad' w%o claimed to %ave survived several assassination attem#ts and w%ose son %ad been &idna##ed' refused to %el# t%e Americans on t%e grounds t%at %e would be murdered if %e did( *%en t%e +) commander offered to #rotect %im' %e re#liedB 30%an& you' but you are not always %ere( 0%is is t%e first time 2 %ave ever seen you(5 *%ereu#on t%e +) troo#s labelled Mr /a%ad a 3bad guy5 and debated w%et%er to detain %im( 2nstead t%ey detained =! #eo#le from districts identified by t%eir informer as 3bad5( 2n near free,ing conditions t%ey sat %ooded and bound in t%eir #y.amas(

0%ey s%ivered uncontrollably( One wetted %imself in fear( Most %ad been detained at random' but several %ad been %eld because t%ey owned A86"=s' w%ic% is legal( 0%e evidence against one man was some anti6+) literature' a meat cleaver and a tin w%istle( +) intelligence officers moved t%roug% t%e ran&s ta&ing mugs%ots 3One' two' t%ree 9i%aaad15 A t%oug%tful middle ran&ing +) officer commented on t%e missionB 3*%en we do t%is' we lose(5 American military intelligence officers admit t%eir assessments are often little better t%an guesses( 0%ey %ave but a %a,y idea of w%en and by w%om t%e insurgency was #lanned' %ow many dedicated fig%ters and foreign o#eratives it involves' w%o t%ey are' or %ow muc% su##ort t%ey command( 0%e scores of terrorists w%o %ave blown t%emselves u# in 2ra7 over t%e #ast year are invariably said to be foreign fanatics acting in collaboration wit% or on be%alf of Al Qaeda' but t%is %as almost never been #roved( But gat%ering accurate and timely intelligence on Al Qaeda is a #rotracted and tric&y affair at t%e best of times and as t%e +8 and t%e +) learned to t%eir cost in 2ra7' mista&es can be %ideously costly( 2n !! M2: as&ed its small number of %alf do,en 2ra7i agents for information on *MD #rogrammes( 2nformation tric&led in confirming Aondon<s worst sus#icions but later w%en reviewed at t%e in7uiry by former Cabinet )ecretary' Aord Butler of Broc&well' )ir $ic%ard Dearlove' t%e new %ead of t%e )2) admitted t%at t%e )2) %ad neit%er t%e resources nor t%e funds to im#lement a new range of assessment tec%ni7ues develo#ed in !!11 0%ese #roblems were com#ounded by )addam -ussein<s rut%less counter6intelligence measures( 4ven t%e ever watc%ful 9oint 2ntelligence Committee could not remedy t%e s%ortcomings( )ometimes inter6agency rivalry discredits e@cellent intelligence( 0%e Niger 3yellow ca&e5 re#ort submitted to t%e C2A by M2: is one suc% instance( 0%e Britis% service wor&ed alongside two 4uro#ean services to discover w%en' w%ere and %ow t%e ore would be e@tracted and s%i##ed to 2ra7( Agents in Niger re#orted t%at officials %ad s#o&en to a number of countries about su##lying yellow ca&e enric%ed uranium Nort% 8orea' Aibya' C%ina' 2ran and 2ra7( Ore was being e@cavated from abandoned mines and being s%i##ed out( 2ran' Nort% 8orea and Aibya moved 7uic&ly wit% t%eir nuclear #ro.ects( Guidance' tec%nology and advice in res#ect of t%e mac%inery and tec%nology for nuclear #rogrammes came from a nuclear smuggling networ& %eaded by t%e brilliant Pa&istani scientist' Abdul Qadir 8%an( 0%e %uge clandestine o#eration to find t%e trade routes' carriers and financiers succeeded( 0%e M2: o#eration forced Aibya to dro# its #rogramme and destroy its *MD stoc&#iles( 0%e C2A sent 9ose#% *ilson' a former +) Ambassador to Niger' to c%ec& t%e Britis% re#orts( Ama,ingly %e carried not t%e M2: re#ort wit% its carefully ac7uired intelligence' but a set of forged Niger documents( 2t was a ma.or error and led to a comical assertion by t%e C2A t%at t%e )2) was indulging in fantasy( -is critical assessment led to t%e downfall of t%e C2A Director of Central 2ntelligence' George 0enet' and #ublic condemnation of President George Bus%( 2n anot%er strange twist *ilson<s wife' Falerie Plame was e@#osed in t%e #ress as a C2A officer( *ilson accused t%e *%ite -ouse of smear tactics' but lost in t%e melee was t%e fact t%at Niger<s biggest e@#ort is goats( 0%ere is no doubt t%at M2: trac&ed at least t%ree 2ra7i officials w%o %ad %eld several meetings discussing a 3trade agreement5( 2t is %ig%ly unli&ely t%at t%e 2ra7is were discussing t%e s%i#ment of a %erd of goats(

Ai&ewise' an M2: re#ort inadvertently %el#ed t%wart #olitical attac&s on President George Bus% in t%e run6u# to t%e !!" +) elections( *it% growing criticism over a %uge 2ra7i arms cac%e t%at %ad mysteriously disa##eared under t%e noses of +) troo#s' M2: was called u#on to #rovide t%e Pentagon wit% t%e detailed evidence t%at )addam -ussein did indeed %ave materials for t%e manufacture of wea#ons of mass destruction( 0%e wea#ons %ad been transferred to )yria by $ussian )#ecial /orces s%ortly before t%e war started in Marc% !!;( 0%e M2: file allegedly says 3do,ens of %eavy truc&s were used5' in t%e o#eration( 0%e re#ort seen by officials in bot% t%e $e#ublican and Democratic cam#s was enoug% to end a bitter dis#ute over t%e vanis%ed wea#ons( )enator 8erry<s followers %ad #erceived t%eir disa##earance as s%oddy wor& and furt%er evidence t%at not enoug% attention %ad been devoted to t%e roadma# following )addam<s defeat( )ome of t%e materials moved by Moscow included ;! tons of $ussian manufactured $DJ and -MJ needed to build a nuclear bomb( *%en s%own t%e M2: re#ort t%e accusations of incom#etence by )enator 8erry against President Bus% melted away and t%e matter was 7uic&ly dro##ed by t%e media( 8erry #layed a res#ectful and #ivotal role in ac&nowledging t%e re#ort( 0%e intelligence revelation emerged after 9o%n )%aw' America<s De#uty +nder6 secretary for Defence res#onsible for international tec%nology security' revealed t%at %e %ad obtained 3reliable information from two 4uro#ean intelligence sources t%at %ave detailed &nowledge of w%at %a##ened5( M2: %as been lin&ed to t%e story because senior members of )%aw<s staff secretly visited Aondon and met wit% 9o%n )carlett' C%ief of M2:( 0%e Britis% re#ort detailed %ow $ussian )#etsna, )#ecial /orces flew to Bag%dad a full four wee&s #rior to t%e start of t%e conflict( /earing an international dis#ute if +) troo#s discovered t%e com#onents' $ussia<s President Putin ordered t%e trans#orting of t%e cac%e to )yria in a t%ree wee& o#eration' after %e %ad failed to #ersuade -ussein to submit to +)M+8 demands to allow unlimited ins#ection of 2ra7<s wea#ons systems( $ussia su##lied over :!!'!!! tons of conventional wea#ons to 2ra7( 0%e $ussian s#ecial forces also engaged in a #rogramme designed to s%red tons of incriminating documents outlining t%e sco#e and scale of t%e c%emical wea#ons su##lied to 2ra7( +&raine and Belarus also su##lied wea#onry to 2ra7( )%aw confirmed t%at t%e wea#ons were moved as #art of a carefully constructed #rogramme in advance of t%e conflict and in collaboration wit% )addam<s #lans to use )yria as a launc%ing #ad for insurgent o#erations in 2ra7( According to t%e M2: re#ort t%ese $ussian sourced materials could already %ave been used by militant 2slamic fundamentalist forces against American and Britis% troo#s in 2ra7( On t%is occasion t%e Britis% intelligence was confirmed by Pentagon officials using satellite #%otogra#%s of truc& convoys su##lied by t%e +) National Geos#atial6 2ntelligence Agency NNGAO s%owing low loaders moving arms and e7ui#ment from &nown sites including ;D! tons of $DJ and -MJ from two of t%e ?: bun&ers at t%e Al6Qa7aa e@#losives storage com#le@ between 9anuary !!; and Marc% !!;( 8remlin officials deny t%e allegations as 3far6fetc%ed and ridiculous5(

Documents reviewed by one defence official include s#ecific $ussian military unit itineraries for t%e truc& convoys( Ot%er intelligence revealed $ussian soldiers were based at a com#uter centre near t%e $ussian 4mbassy in Bag%dad( 0%e troo#s de#arted sometime before !t% Marc%( Commercial satellite #%otogra#%s ta&en s%ortly before +) troo#s reac%ed t%e outs&irts of Bag%dad reveal a number of $ussian trans#ort aircraft at Bag%dad<s international air#ort( Analysts s#eculate t%at t%e aircraft were used to evacuate t%e $ussian forces from 2ra7 before coalition forces occu#ied t%e city( Cou#led wit% t%e #lots already referred to is anot%er #lan' revealed recently in a ca#tured la#to# %eld by an Al Qaeda team including valid )out% African #ass#ort %olders interce#ted in Pa&istan( 0%e #lan involves detonating an e@#losive device not unli&e a small t%ermo6nuclear bomb in t%e centres of finance in New Lor& or *as%ington( Al6Qaeda<s intelligence is not%ing if not t%oroug% noting t%at 1" #eo#le a minute wal& #ast some of t%e target buildings in New Lor&' listing esca#e routes and studying traffic flows( A )#ecial 2nvestigation in )e#tember !!" by t%e +) 0F networ& CB) featured t%e networ&<s security affairs s#ecialist David Martin saying t%at t%e C2A %ad identified > new nd and ;rd tier leaders of Al Qaeda wit% certain establis%ed followers in )out% Africa( 1 of t%ese leaders were identified as being located in countries stretc%ing from Pa&istan to )out% Africa( 0%e accuracy of t%e re#ort was immediately c%allenged by t%e )out% African Minister for 2ntelligence' Mr $onnie 8asrils' t%e #olitical %ead of t%e )out% African National 2ntelligence Agency and t%e )out% African )ecret )ervice( According to t%e CB) re#ort t%e alleged )out% African Al Qaeda o#eratives were directly answerable to al Qar7awi( 0%e )out% African Government in t%e form of t%e Minister of 2ntelligence %as made it clear t%at Al Qaeda will not be tolerated in )out% Africa( 0o t%is effect' several Al Qaeda o#eratives %ave been de#orted bot% to t%e +) and to 9ordan( A substantial Muslim community in )out% Africa w%ic% is #redominantly if not overw%elmingly o##osed to Al Qaeda<s radicalism' nonet%eless remains a #otentially fertile breeding ground for bot% recruitment and concealment( 0owards t%e end of !!" t%e )out% African Police air commando wing located from t%e air w%at a##eared to be a new military training base in nort%ern 8waQuluMNatal com#rising accommodation' obstacle courses and a firing range( C%ec&ing wit% t%e )out% African National Defence /orce w%o denied t%e base was t%eirs' a decision was ta&en to investigate t%e area using t%e )AP) )*A0 team( *%at amounted to all intents and #ur#oses to be a local Al Qaeda training base staffed by Muslim 2ndians from 8,N was discovered and s%ut down( 2t would seem t%at' as always' eternal vigilance' is t%e #rice of #eace1 0%e African connection is t%oug%t #rovo&ing for four reasons( One relates to t%e fireside c%at given by Geoff -ill in t%is club earlier t%is year on t%e ease wit% w%ic% a genuine )A #ass#ort could be falsely obtained in )out% Africa( No sooner said t%an done for a mere $: !!! bac&%ander or +)E1 !!!(

)econdly' t%e +) is increasingly loo&ing to Nigeria' 47uatorial Guinea and Cabinda amongst ot%er #laces to beef u# its %ydrocarbon sources in t%e event of a reduction in su##ly from t%e Middle 4ast( Nigeria su##lies 1"P of +) %ydrocarbon re7uirements and t%e Gulf of Guinea w%ic% is growing already su##lies ?P to ;!P of +) consum#tion( 0%e w%ole of Africa now falls under t%e +) 4uro#ean Command based in )tuttgart' Germany' w%ic% covers all 4uro#e from t%e Atlantic t%roug% t%e eastern 4uro#ean former )oviet satellites to t%e $ussian frontier' t%e Mediterranean and #arts of t%e Middle 4ast( Africa falls wit%in t%e 3arc of crisis5 in +)4+COM and will receive considerably more attention from *as%ington t%an ever before( 0%irdly' suc% +) interests cannot ignore t%e carnage in t%e Darfur region of )udan w%ere Arab Al6Qaeda sym#at%ising fanatics %ave been slaug%tering t%eir own blac& #o#ulation wit% gay abandon( -ow bad is it in DarfurT As t%e 9ulyMAugust edition of 0%e 4conomist says' as& t%e villagers w%o saw t%eir blac& neig%bours trussed wit% c%ains and burned alive( As& t%e 1( million blac& #eo#le w%o %ave fled t%e torc%ed embers of t%eir %uts( As& t%e aid wor&ers w%o estimate t%at 1 !!! blac& #eo#le are dying every day of %unger related diseases( By t%e end of t%is year ;?! !!! blac& #eo#le will die from malnutrition( )%ould aid not be fort%coming fast t%e figure will rise to one million( Darfur is so %orrific t%at even t%e African +nion w%ic% could see no wrong in Qimbabwe<s elections' %as #rotested ve%emently( /ourt%ly' arrested alongside Mr Mo%ammed Noor 8%an was Mr A%med 8%alfan G%ailani' a 0an,anian militant' wanted by t%e Britis% and t%e Americans to t%e tune of +)E ? millions for t%e 1>>D bombings of t%e American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es )alaam( 0%e African connection is already establis%ed and o#erational( 0%e +nited )tates is so concerned over t%e #ossible t%reat to its #resent and future %ydrocarbon interests in t%e continent as well as t%e im#lications of resurgent militant 2slam t%at t%e second of two conferences was %eld in December !!" in )tuttgart attended by to# level military re#resentatives from t%e +)' Canada and 4uro#e( 8nown as t%e African Clearing -ouse it was a two day affair designed to co6ordinate strategy' ac%ieve consensus on tactical battle doctrine and define #olicy wit% a view to creating ? o#erational brigades for ra#id de#loyment anyw%ere in Africa( 0%ere were be no African re#resentatives at t%is conference1 2f )out% Africans t%in& t%at t%e $)A can ta&e a neutral line on Al6Qaeda and esca#e murder and may%em %ere' t%ey are bar&ing u# t%e wrong tree( *%at %as %a##ened in Bali' Madrid and Aondon will' wit%out doubt' be considered %ere sooner or later' indeed may even be in t%e #lanning stages now( -eaven &nows' t%ere are enoug% tem#ting targets wit% sufficiently %ig% #rofile to earn substantial international media attention( Blac& or w%ite' we as )out% Africans must face t%ese realities and ado#t t%e a##ro#riate measures to #rotect ourselves( 8nowledge' or intelligence' in bot% senses of t%e word is t%e starting #oint( 2n t%at sense 2 trust t%at braving t%is c%illy evening to be %ere tonig%t %as #roven wort%w%ile(