Saturday, November 19, 2005
Jihadist video issues warning for its supporters in Morocco.
A message posted to jihadist websites on Wednesday warned its members that Morocco's intelligence services are carrying out a major crackdown against suspected Islamic militants. Headed 'Latest News from Morocco' it tells the "mujahadeen" to be "very careful".
According to the message, "The biggest US secret services operation in Africa has long been stationed in the city of Tangiers. In Morocco, people are happy to accept religious observance, especially young men and women, who have recently begun to wear the veil. Victory is close at hand if God wills it."
The message, signed by a certain Abu Musab al-Iraqi, is apparently targeted at jihadists abroad who may be planning terrorist attacks in Morocco - a NATO partner country and one of the United States' allies in its war on terror, as well as an exponent of moderate Islam.
According to Abu Musab al-Iraqi, young Moroccans are favourably disposed to radical Islam and al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's jihadist message. The message is likely to increase Moroccan intelligence services' already heightened state of alert.
Analysts believe Morocco is third on al-Qaeda's list of target countries, after Saudi Arabia and Jordan, according to Moroccan daily al-Alam, which quotes unnamed Moroccan secret service sources.
Since last week's triple hotel bombings in the Jordanian capital, Amman, which killed at least 57 people and injured nearly 100, intelligence services have warned that al-Qaeda operatives in Europe, may reach Morocco via Algeria, and that a senior al-Qaeda member in Belgium may enter the country using a false passport and carry out attacks.
Earlier this month, immediately after the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, a number of messages, signed by the Moroccan Armed Islamic group, which threatened the 'apostate' government of Morocco, appeared on Islamist websites.
It is also interesting to note that Jihad Unspun website has announced its closing.
Tags: Morocco, Fes, Jihad, Terrorism,
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5 comments:
Hi Hujaina - the report has been carried in an Italian and French newspaper, but they did not give the url of the website. I have looked for them, but as they are in Arabic it is a bit hard for me to find! I will keep looking and let you know.
You will find one of the reports here:
REPORT
Hi Foulla
I really admire your weblog. I am sure that as a non-Moroccan and a speaker of only very basic Arabic, I make many mistakes. If so, please forgive me.
The link between the two issues is a small one, but according to my sources, the jihadist warnings to Morocco and the closed website, is that analysts believe that the same web-designer was responsible for both sites. Unfortunately I have only seen screen shots of the jihadist site, but it does appear that the style and colours used are the same as the website of Jihad Unspun. It may be a wrong assumption, but it was mentioned enough times to spark my interest.
Is that what the authorities are doing? Spreading terror with these news items? It is cynical - but, hey, you could be right.
Hi Hujaina,
It is interesting that the reports were not in Moroccan media. When I talk of "authorities" - I mean those in power , the USA etc. In the West it is quite common for the war on terror to be used for political purposes. A senior Australian member of the government has just yesterday said that some of the new anti-terror laws will have no effect other than to make people "feel safe" which is pretty cynical.
As for Foulla's link... no it does not work, but that is expected as these sites close down and move to a new place from time to time.
Have a wonderful week.
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