E.U. anti-terror czar on N. Africa: "A real threat is developing at our borders"

Food for thought for the proponents of the "Mediterranean Union."

"EU faces 'real threat' from north Africa: anti-terror tsar," from Agence France-Presse:

(BRUSSELS) - The EU's anti-terror coordinator warned Monday that a "real threat" to European security is developing in northern Africa, fed by militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda.

"Al-Qaeda is continuing and will continue to dominate international terrorism and its leader, Osama bin Laden, will remain very active as long as he has sanctuary in Afghanistan and Pakistan," Gilles de Kerchove said.

"But an Islamist terror franchise is developing in parallel, and the illustration of that is the rallying to Al-Qaeda of groups like the Salifist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group."

"A real threat is developing at our borders," he said at the European Parliament, citing the killing of four French nationals in Mauritania in December and the kidnapping of two Austrians in Tunisia in February.

"This threat is accentuated by the return to north African countries, and in Europe, of 'jihadis' who have acquired a certain expertise and are seen as heroes, and therefore are a source of attraction" for recruits, he said.

De Kerchove said the European Union needed to do more work on dealing with "the consequences of a major attack".

The high-ranking Belgian official, who had been supervising police and justice cooperation for the EU, was named anti-terror coordinator last year.

His job is mainly to coordinate from Brussels the application of the EU's "anti-terror" strategy in all 27 member nations, in working groups as well as at councils of the various EU ministers.

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20 Comments

Gramfan | April 8, 2008 2:03 AM

OT, very OT,
but for US JW readers via LGF:
http://infidelsarecool.com/2008/04/07/jeremiah-wright-former-muslim/

" Obama’s pastor Jeremiah Wright: Former Muslim
April 07th 2008

A reader from Free Republic has dug up an old article last year (March 07) From TNR about Obama. It was written by Ryan Lizza, Senior editor at The New Republic. It’s a biographical piece, but in the article, it explicitly states that Jeremiah Wright is a former Muslim."

I am assuming this is a reliable source?

special_guest | April 8, 2008 2:04 AM

The EU's anti-terror coordinator warned Monday that a "real threat" to European security is developing in northern Africa

Let me guess: it's the Joooooooos. Time for the weekly E.U. condemnation of Israel.

What? De Kerchove mentioned Muslims? And jihad? Unfortunately, Hesham Islam has just been sent to oversee the renewal of De Kerchove's contract.

tanstaafl | April 8, 2008 8:21 AM

Noooo! Radical extremist Islamic jihadist in North Africa?! What can be happening to the Religion of Peace?

USorThem | April 8, 2008 8:32 AM

OMG! Did DeKerchove dare suggest that North African "jihadists" and terrorism are connected to Islam?

Indict him ...quickly. He is stirring up racial hatred. Shame on him. Shame on the EU for allowing this. How dare he utter the words "muslim" and "terror" in the same sentence!

USorThem | April 8, 2008 8:36 AM

OMG! Did DeKerchove dare suggest that North African "jihadists" and terrorism are connected to Islam?

Indict him ...quickly. He is stirring up racial hatred. Shame on him. Shame on the EU for allowing this. How dare he utter the words "muslim" and "terror" in the same sentence!

Crusader | April 8, 2008 8:58 AM

Clearly, this is a major problem for multiculturalists. However, since they live in a paralel universe, in their ivory tower, they don't care. They need immigrant votes, so they'll keep shipping them inside Europe.

Elric66 | April 8, 2008 9:10 AM

Soon this will be a problem inside their borders if these idiots get their way.

PMK | April 8, 2008 9:45 AM

"This threat is accentuated by the return to north African countries, and in Europe, of 'jihadis' who have acquired a certain expertise and are seen as heroes, and therefore are a source of attraction" for recruits, he said.
-from the article

They're worried about jihadis "returning" to Europe? This suggests authorities know who they are and where they're going and what they're doing when they are away from home. Of course they COULD deny reentry to any "jihadi" who did anything but make his pilgrimage to Mecca.
NAHHH!

Ruebacca | April 8, 2008 10:35 AM

I bet they quit this guy quik. This is to real for the EU fantasy land.

Borg | April 8, 2008 11:21 AM

Indonesia blocks access to youtube and myspace because of Fitna movie.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i2lzeugbM6aUajPDYkYhVuHgyziQ

Rick | April 8, 2008 11:57 AM

Wow! Gotta hand it to the EU. Nothing gets by them. Recognizing threats almost before they actually exist. Great intelligence guys. You're really on top of things. Why within a year or two you'll probably get around to reading the recent poll showing 60% of Muslims favor death for illustrators of offensive cartoons. In a few years of that maybe even have an analysis of what the poll means. After that maybe even a position paper on how better to integrate Europeans into your now Islamic countries. The ones that are left, anyway.

Borg | April 8, 2008 11:57 AM

And the rapper, saladi, who tried so hard to look like van Gogh's killer is now suing because he was mistaken for him.

http://kleinverzet.blogspot.com/2008/04/fitna-trial-saladin-vs-geert-wilders.html

profitsbeard | April 8, 2008 12:01 PM

The revolving door in the Morocco prison, where a batch of jihadis just exited, is the underlining of this anti-terror czar's point.

Muslim governments are complicit in the overall aims of the Jihad.

Containment, not appeasement, should be the counter-plan.

Hugh | April 8, 2008 12:08 PM

Errata Sheet:

For "A real threat is developing at our borders"

Read "A real threat is developing not only right at our southern and southeastern borders, but deep within all of the countries of the E.U."

Rick | April 8, 2008 12:08 PM

Profitsbeard wrote
Muslim governments are complicit in the overall aims of the Jihad.

And if they're stupid enough to go to war with Israel, the Jews will very likely solve the problem of Islam for the rest of us in a very decisive way.

adobe | April 8, 2008 12:20 PM

Muslim intimidation of Christian church

Mosque intimidates Christians by yelling at them over the mosque loudspeaker during every Christian prayer service.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2V0te8IVHo

Hugh | April 8, 2008 12:47 PM

In Haleb (Aleppo) there used to be a Christian (mainly Armenian) quarter, and then a Muslim quarter. The churches were located in the former, the mosques in the latter. But slowly, over the past few decades, Armenian informants tell me, Muslims have been deliberately building mosques in the Christian areas, right between, in some cases, churches, even though the Muslims -- described to me by one Armenian native of Haleb as "bad Muslims" (as opposed to the "good ones" who did not try to cause trouble) who attend those mosques live outside the area. So why, if it would be more convenient to attend mosques in the areas where Muslims live, is this done? It is done in order to make a statement about power, and to deliberately disrupt the Christians, by the call to prayer, and the marching of the Muslims to and from the mosque, right through Christian areas. Not the only thing to worry Christians in Syria (though in Syria they have less to worry about than in other Arab countries, because the Alawites protect them, for reasons of their own). But one more thing.

Perhaps the Assad regime stopped that mosque-building since those Armenian informants left about a decade ago. If someone is reading this has been in Aleppo recently, and can post a fresh report, that would be welcome.

Elric66 | April 8, 2008 12:52 PM

"And if they're stupid enough to go to war with Israel, the Jews will very likely solve the problem of Islam for the rest of us in a very decisive way."

You have great faith in Olmert, the "leader" who wussed out in fighting Hezbollah.

senor doeboy | April 8, 2008 1:21 PM

De Kerchove said the European Union needed to do more work on dealing with "the consequences of a major attack".

Hmmm… I suspect that the “consequences of a major attack” have nothing to do with prevent casualties or pursuing the Jihadist involved. It is in fact keeping their Kafur sheep calm as their NEW AND IMPROVED CONSTITUENCY slaughters them to replace them. All this so the PC Politicians can stay in power. What other “consequences” can these politicians be concerned about? Just look at how hard the EU bureaucrats tried to muzzle the movie Fitna.

rational | April 8, 2008 3:13 PM

Now that they've been told the truth, what are they going to do about it, conclude that only more multiculturalism and diversity can solve the problem?

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