NOVI PAZAR, Serbia – The discovery of a mountain cave packed with plastic explosives, masks and machine guns – and the recent arrests of men devoted to radical Islam – have fueled fears that extremists are trying to carve out a stronghold in this remote corner of Europe. Police in southern Serbia's Sandzak region last month arrested six local Muslims and accused them of belonging to a fundamentalist Wahhabi sect – an austere brand of Sunni Islam promoted by extremists, including the Taliban, Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda fighters.
Recently leaked Western intelligence reports allege that the tense, impoverished area, along with Muslim-dominated regions in neighboring Bosnia, are rich ground for recruiting so-called “white al-Qaeda” – Muslims with Western features who could easily blend into European or U.S. cities and carry out attacks. Al-Qaeda and other radical Islamic groups, the reports warn, may be trying to increase their influence in the Muslim-populated regions in the southern Europe to penetrate deeper into the continent.
The presence of radical Muslims in Sandzak, the poorest region of Serbia, is linked to the advent of mujahedeen foreign fighters who joined Bosnian Muslims in their battle against the Serbs in Bosnia's 1992-95 independence war. Sandzak's Muslims like to be called Bosniaks because they believe they ethnically belong to Bosnia, not Serbia.
A March 16 police raid on what authorities said was a mountain terrorist camp just south of Novi Pazar unveiled a large cache of weapons, ammunition, hand grenades, plastic explosives and face masks. Authorities captured four of the suspected Wahhabi Muslims in the raid, and two others four days later. TV footage of the cave broadcast in Serbia also showed a black flag with a Quran inscription in Arabic, and propaganda material that investigators said praised bin Laden and al-Qaeda. “The lethal mix of inter-Muslim and interethnic tensions, poverty and organized crime definitely has a potential for trouble,” a Western diplomat, who asked not to be named in order not to interfere with the police investigation, told The Associated Press.
“The 'white al-Qaeda' certainly can find fertile ground in the region,” he said. Police claimed that up to 30 radical Muslims trained at the mountain camp, and that militants they referred to as “Wahhabi terrorists” planned unspecified actions at home and abroad.
Police in Kosovo said they were searching for one of the suspects, whom they identified as Ismail Prentic – a man they warned “should be considered armed and dangerous.”
Excerpted
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070403-1020-serbia-riseoftheradicals.html
Clashes between local tribesmen and foreign militants were continuing in Pakistani South Waziristan tribal agency as six more foreign militants were killed Tuesday. Local tribesmen attacked a vehicle in a town near Wana, the agency headquarters, killing six foreign militants including three Uzbeks and capturing two others, security officials told KUNA.
Meanwhile, officials said, a tribal Lashkar of 800 tribesmen has joined local tribal militants in their fight against foreigners. Clashing between foreign militants, mostly Uzbeks, and local Taliban militants erupted last month over the killing of an Arab. More than 200, most of them foreigners have reportedly been killed in clashes and dozens hurt.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1721301&Language=en
Bomb squad called to navy base (Australia)
April 03, 2007
The bomb squad was called to a Sydney naval base after a woman with a bag was caught trespassing on a warship. Police said the 51-year-old woman, from Waitara in Sydney's northwest, was arrested on board the amphibious transport HMAS Kanimbla at Garden Island at 11.30am (AEST) today.
Security officers held the woman until police arrived. She was helping officers with their inquiries this afternoon. Police said a Hazmat crew had inspected the base and the bomb disposal unit had been called in as a precaution, to check a bag the woman was carrying.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21497210-29277,00.html
Bomb found on Keechelus Dam (Washington)
Saturday, March 24, 2007
SNOQUALMIE PASS -- A small explosive device was found on Keechelus Dam late Thursday morning during a routine inspection by a Bureau of Reclamation employee.
Members of the U.S. Army's explosive ordinance detonated the device described as a cylinder shaped object about 2 to 3 inches tall and having a 1 1/2 inch diameter with a green fuse coming out of it, Kittitas County Sheriff Gene Dana reported.
Further inspection of the dam was conducted and no other devices were found, Dana said. Army personnel told authorities the item would not have damaged the dam; however, it could have injured a person had it been detonated near them. Dana said it is unknown why the explosive was on the dam and an investigation continues.
“It is not unusual to find old dynamite, blasting caps, homemade firecrackers or even old military devices that people have kept on their property or have carelessly discarded," Dana said. "If found, call law enforcement and do not disturb it. Citizens should also call in any suspicious people, vehicles and activity that seem out of place. Intelligence information is shared between agencies and may be an important piece to preventing or solving criminal activity in our county.”
http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2007/03/23/news/doc46040ce7ac3dc051568203.txt
Snippet from your article, Oorang: “Recently leaked Western intelligence reports allege that the tense, impoverished area, along with Muslim-dominated regions in neighboring Bosnia, are rich ground for recruiting so-called “white al-Qaeda” – Muslims with Western features who could easily blend into European or U.S. cities and carry out attacks. Al-Qaeda and other radical Islamic groups, the reports warn, may be trying to increase their influence in the Muslim-populated regions in the southern Europe to penetrate deeper into the continent.”
I used to have the white alqaida and white jihadi search links. I think I’ll put them back up on this thread.
#
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22white+al+qaeda%22&btnG=Google+Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22white+al+qaida%22&btnG=Google+Search