AFI Intelligence Report

Is The West About To Reap a Terrorist Whirlwind?
 
By Richard Bennett

05/13/03: (AFI ) The question uppermost in the minds of the CIA 
and other Western intelligence services is whether the catastrophic 
car bombs in Riyadh which appear to have delivered such a startling 
set-back to the United States in the War on Terrorism are the start 
of a renewed and bloody Islamic terrorist campaign or as some analysts 
have claimed just the last desperate gasps of a dying and disorganized 
Al Qa'ida. However, as AFI Research commented on Monday and just a 
few hours before these new attacks, there are distinct signs that Al 
Qa'ida is no longer just one single organization within the 12 or 13 
groups that make up the so-called Islamic Front. Suggestions from 
usually reliable Middle Eastern sources and leaks from certain 
European Intelligence agencies have pointed towards a deliberate 
fragmentation of Osama Bin Ladins organization with its inherent 
weakness of having once been closely linked to the CIA.  

The Counter-Terrorist Centre at the CIA's Langley Headquarters had 
more information on Bin Ladin's personnel, training techniques and 
likely operational strategy than is usually admitted and far more 
than was acceptable to the new generation of Al Qa'ida commanders 
who do not have such a pronounced Afghan background or an allegiance to 
Saudi Arabia. Many of these new terrorist leaders are from Palestinian 
extremist groups, Algeria and Egypt and are largely unknown to 
Western or even Israeli security.  They have been able to operate in 
almost complete safety in recent months and are now suspected of 
having taken over the remnants of some of the Al Qa'ida cells in Europe 
and North America and to have created new networks free of serious 
penetration by Western intelligence agents.  

This new pragmatic leadership has created a number of secure and 
self-contained groups and under a number of different banners. Many 
countries in the Middle East, Asia, Central Africa, Europe and both 
North and South America are now unwittingly playing host to these 
dedicated terrorists. They have been immensely helped by a new found 
willingness by Muslim immigrants in these countries and perhaps by 
more than a few native born 'volunteers' to become committed fighters. 
It is understood that the recent Western campaigns in Afghanistan and 
now Iraq have resulted in a flood of new recruits, many of whom are 
firmly and deeply embedded within their host societies.  

Bush and Blair targeted for assassination?

Even more ominously, the new younger leadership of the various 
former Al Qa'ida factions see Washington's very public attempts to 
assassinate Osama Bin Ladin and even the head of state of a sovereign 
country, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, as giving them carte blanche to 
retaliate in kind. It is understood by contacts of AFI Research that 
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair, other senior members of their 
Governments, their families and celebrated personalities from within 
sport, entertainment and business are now likely to be deliberately 
targeted for killing.  

The new Islamic commanders apparently firmly believe that both the 
United States and Israel have breached a psychological barrier by 
targeting their opponents leadership and that this will now be made to 
work to the West's long-term disadvantage. The attacks in Saudi Arabia 
also highlight a further shift by Islamic terrorism towards soft, civilian 
targets. Opportunity and effect are now rated far higher than legitimacy 
or toughness. Intelligence sources have suggested to AFI Research that 
Western tourists, businessmen and contracted personnel are likely to 
become the victims of an ever widening pattern of terrorism around the 
world, and that reports of Al Qa'ida's demise were indeed grossly 
exaggerated and untimely.     

Richard M. Bennett   rbmedia{at}supanet.com 

Books by Richard M Bennett include
FIGHTING FORCES (2001) -ESPIONAGE(2002)- ELITE FORCES (6th Feb 2003) 
-CONSPIRACIES(Sept 2003) 

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Source: Information Clearinghouse ...
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3365.htm


Cheers, Steve..

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