From across "the pond"

By Mike Chandler

The trial that has started in Spain of a number of individuals suspected of being members of al-Qaida and/or an al-Qaida cell, highlights the amount of time and effort that is necessary in attempting to achieve a soundly based conviction against terrorists and/or would be terrorists and their sympathisers. The length and painstaking aspects of this process were also emphasised last week with the conviction and sentencing of Kamel Bourgass in London "...for plotting to spread ricin (poison)... on the UK's streets."

Even though four individuals suspected of involvement in the same conspiracy were found not guilty by the jury in the case, others in UK and certain European countries are under investigation for terrorist related activities. Some will eventually go to trial, some will possibly be released without going to trial. The important point is that at the first level, the tactical level, it is crucial to maintain the pressure on the terrorist groups. Terrorists and would-be terrorists need to clearly understand that "terrorism does not pay". Similarly, the terrorists' supporters, sympathisers and financiers need to know that "paying for terrorism also does not pay!"

Disrupting the terrorists efforts and plans, whilst not a guarantee against further attacks, does nonetheless keep them 'on-the-hop' and goes some way to ensuring that they can only continue to operate with considerable difficulty. This is all the more important due to concerns that a number of jihadists fighting coalition forces and their allies in Iraq, might carry-out terrorist attacks after they return to the European country of their 'adopted' citizenship. Some individuals have been identified, suspected of having links to groups connected with Iraq, e.g. al-Tawhid . Hence the threat posed by trans-national terrorism, rather than al-Qaida per se has to be seen for what it is and treated accordingly. We saw what happened after the Soviet departure from Afghanistan, with mujahidin taking their jihad to Bosnia and Chechnya and, more recently the movements after the over throw of the Taliban regime. Many of the Afghan-Arabs who had been in Afghanistan came to Europe where they either joined existing al-Qaida cells or formed new ones, be they of an operational or supporting nature.

TrackBack