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More on this story. "Muslim radicals strengthen in Serbia," by Dusan Stojanovic for Associated Press:
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-Qaida 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-Qaida" — Muslims with Western features who could easily blend into European or U.S. cities and carry out attacks.
Al-Qaida 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-Qaida.
"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-Qaida' 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."
Local politicians said the group initially may have been plotting to attack moderate Muslims whom its members have denounced as infidels.
"There are numerous indications that something nasty was being prepared in Sandzak," said Dragan Simeunovic, an analyst.
Last autumn, young men with long beards, white skull caps and ankle-short pants clashed with security in Novi Pazar's downtown Arap mosque. At least two people were injured in an ensuing firefight.
Muamer Zukorlic, Novi Pazar's mufti, describes the attackers as Wahhabi "extremists who want to express their domination" over local moderate Muslims.
"In some mosques, they collected prayer beads and hurled them into a nearby river," Zukorlic said. "They often shout in the mosques, interrupt prayers and provoke believers."
As the ultraconservatives increasingly make their presence known in Novi Pazar, the scene is more Saudi than Serbian.
Chants of muezzins echo from minarets across the town of 100,000, which is nearly 90 percent Muslim. Beggars crowd around yellow-brick buildings, and vendors at makeshift markets peddle everything from framed Quran verses to counterfeit designer blue jeans, watches and perfumes. Many women are clad head to toe in black.
Among fundamentalists like Edin Bejtovic, an unofficial spokesman for the conservative Muslim community, the mood is staunchly anti-American and in support of the radical Islamic insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"According to the Americans, every average Muslim is a potential terrorist," said Bejtovic, who denied claims in Serbian media that his group is financed by Saudi Arabia-based radicals and that it was plotting attacks.
But he warned: "It can all become true if the Americans don't stop their destruction of Muslim nations and Islam."
We're not terrorists, he says, but make us mad enough, and we will be. Bejtovic has unwittingly hit the nail on the head: Why are so many in the local population so receptive to "radicalization," such that "moderates" can undergo a seemingly automatic metamorphosis into full-fledged jihadists? Could it be that the jihadists have recourse to support for their cause in the Qur'an and Sunnah that the moderates have not found an adequate way to refute? And for that matter, where is the global support for the remaining "moderates," from other putatively "moderate" Muslim groups in the West?
There are fears that religious tensions in Sandzak, a center for organized drug trafficking and human smuggling, could further destabilize the already volatile southern Balkans.
A recent report by the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs identified Sandzak as "the center point" on a Balkan drug smuggling route that leads from Afghanistan via Turkey to Western Europe.
"The ability of organized crime groups to exploit the porous borders and weak infrastructure threatens political stability and economic development" of Serbia, the report said.
But hey, let's give Kosovo independence. Yeah, that'll fix everything.
Posted by Marisol at April 4, 2007 10:25 AM
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"Local politicians said the group initially may have been plotting to attack moderate Muslims whom its members have denounced as infidels."
...Muslims planning to kill Muslims.....why, oh why, would anyone want to be a Muslim?......
But it is not a surprise...a Muslims worst enemy is another Muslim.....
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at April 4, 2007 10:37 AM
Makes you wonder why we went after Milosovic.
Posted by: Elric66 at April 4, 2007 10:37 AM
It's Bush's fault. If we hadn't gone into Iraq and Afghanistan, there would be no moslem problems in Europe, Australia, the U.S., Iran, Malaysia, the Phillipines, Thailand, Israel, etc. etc. etc. and now Serbia.
Maybe if we send Nancy over there to talk to them, we can fix this one before it becomes a real problem.
/sarc
Posted by: walterc at April 4, 2007 10:40 AM
"We're not terrorists, he says, but make us mad enough, and we will be."
....And we have been seeing some of the things that turn Muslims into violent killing machines: little girls, children playing soccer, ice cream vendors, rubber tree plantation workers, barbers, nuns, journalists, merchants, garbage collectors, people listening to music, travelors/vacationers, film makers, people watching tv, people owning satellite dishes, policemen, ambulance drivers, doctors, nurses, teachers, students, Muslims not praying 5 times a day, Muslims praying inside of Mosques, idle passerbys on the street, women not wear Muslim garments, 85 year old sisters, and on and on......
you do not want to have these people in your neighborhood,, ban Muslim Immigration now...
Posted by: exsgtbrown at April 4, 2007 10:45 AM
does the serbian armed forces still have an international brigade? i'd like to join them.
Posted by: leonthepigfarmer at April 4, 2007 10:50 AM
Put ths together with Holocaust denial becoming official in British schools as to not offend the Muslims, and you conclude that Europe is fucked.
Posted by: george_rem at April 4, 2007 11:05 AM
But hey, let's give Kosovo independence. Yeah, that'll fix everything.
Right on...Clinton. Bush. Neither of them understood what we are up against.
Look for candidates who recognize that this is a war against Jihadis. And dismiss any who refer to the war 'on Terror' because they will be no different that Clinton and Bush.
By the way, who does Nancy Pelosi think she is traveling around and doing a bad Perini Scleroso impersonation in that head scarf? She's no where near as pretty nor funnay as Andrea Martin ;-)
Posted by: GreatShaitan at April 4, 2007 11:16 AM
Clintons Grand Plan
Clinton singled out Milosevic's intolerance of ethnic difference. "This grand vision, ironically, is threatened by the oldest demon of human society: our vulnerability to hatred of the other, those who are not like us," Clinton said. "In the face of that, we cannot be indifferent - at home or abroad. That is why we are in Kosovo."
......one mistake, Clinton attacked the wrong enemy and did so without Congressional approval....
at April 4, 2007 11:24 AM
Phew - one thread on Serbia that hasn't devolved into a pissing contest like all of the others. Thank God for small mercies.
Novi Pazar - the city in the above story - is in Serbia proper - even if Kosovo was separated from Serbia. In other words, even if the Albanians got their way with Kosovo - either Kosovo becoming independent or a part of Albania - the above problem would still fester. It does not involve Bosnia, and it does not involve Kosovo. Yet, were Serbia to do anything about it, they'd be called ethnic cleansers.
I notice strong parallels between Kosovo and Kashmir. In both cases, Jihadi advocates cast it as an issue of self determination. However, terrorist groups in Kashmir have a bigger mission to Islamize all of India - as noted in SIMI's mission statement (liberate India from Infidel rule). I'll bet my shirt that the same is true about these Slavonic Muslims - even if (actually, especially if) Bosnia and Kosovo were completely Islamized, they'd still be campaigning for the Islamization of Serbia.
In other words, Kashmir is just a convenient pretext to Islamize India. Kosovo is similarly an equally convenient pretext to Islamize Serbia.
Posted by: Infidel Pride at April 4, 2007 11:58 AM
Key fact: Only a very tiny percentage of American citizens know that the US armed forces inserted itself into a longstanding Jihad skirmish in the Balkans, took the Jihadi side, and proceeded to bomb the living hell out of non-Moslems there.
And, true to form, we received our thank you notes from the Moslems in NY, PA, and DC on September 11, 2001.
610 * 624 * 632 * 1453 * 1526 *1683 * 1848 * 1917 * 1948 * 1968 * 1996 * 2001 * 2005
That's the "tiny percentage" Prez George shoulda been babbling about on September 12th.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at April 4, 2007 1:14 PM
APF
Don't forget the Bosnian Muslim who thanked us in the Trolley Square mall at SLC.
Posted by: Infidel Pride at April 4, 2007 1:25 PM
Infidel Pride-- I was referring to the last paragraph in the article, which mentioned general problems of "stability and economic development of Serbia, in my comment about Kosovo. I know Sandzak is a separate area, but its predicament underscores the folly of an independent Kosovo.
Posted by: MarisolJW at April 4, 2007 1:50 PM
You guys might be interested to know that the Wahabi leader in Bosnia got killed in a car accident. Apparently, he did not respect traffic signs and lights since he only recognized "laws set down by Allah"! I kid you not!
Posted by: Witch-king of Angmar at April 4, 2007 1:51 PM
Marisol
I agree with you - I didn't mean to suggest that you were implying that Sandzak itself is a part of Kosovo (although re-reading what I shabbily wrote, it does look like I did; besides, I myself was referring to Novi Pazar; Sandzak itself was unmarked on the map). I was merely making an observation that Muslim ambitions in the Balkans aren't limited to Bosnia and Kosovo, and that they'd take over Serbia if they could.
Witch King
Sounds like the solution to this would be the Izetbegovic/Schwartz Sufism, where something from Ghazali or Rumi must be there that endorses obeying traffic signals. We can't have Muslims ethnically cleansing themselves just because they insisting in going the way of Allah
Posted by: Infidel Pride at April 4, 2007 2:12 PM
This is what is going to happen when the muslims take over Europe. The western culture will be sorely missed. Take a hanky.
Posted by: callmeinfidel at April 4, 2007 4:21 PM
Don't worry about Serbia, we have survived 500 years under Islamic rule and know how to deal with them very well.
Just try not to bomb us again when we are defending western world and values. This was really insane...
Posted by: LazarOfSerbia at April 4, 2007 5:11 PM
Just try not to bomb us again when we are defending western world and values. This was really insane...
Few (but some) Americans realized that then, some of us have only learned it recently. I can remember 'conservative' talk show hosts like Bob Grant citicizing callers who tried to say we were fighting the wrong side.
I have to admit, while I was opposed to this bombing campaign--and I had a bug up my ass about it--I was more upset at Clinton's/U.S. meddling in Europe's backyard. I knew very little about the threat of Islam in those days and only realized the bittersweet folly recently.
Posted by: GreatShaitan at April 4, 2007 5:28 PM
Elric66:
Makes you wonder why we went after Milosovic.
Yes it does. He was doing a fine job.
Maybe slaughtering a few Muslims eased his depression.
at April 4, 2007 5:35 PM
LazarOfSerbia:
Don't worry about Serbia, we have survived 500 years under Islamic rule and know how to deal with them very well.
Just try not to bomb us again when we are defending western world and values. This was really insane...
I am sorry. I see that now.
Just need to persuade the rest in the West.
And dont let go of Kosovo.
Get populating it again.
at April 4, 2007 5:37 PM
I wonder if any study has been published on Jihad war frequency and location patterns pre-1996 and post-1996.
That year, of course, was when the global Jihad war was called by Sheikh Osama bin Laden, the Harvard-trained Arabian rich kid.
This was the Sheikh's original call to the Ummah for Infidel blood; he re-called in '98, and has been rolling ever since. Surfing the rise of the Web, the Sheikh has seen his Jihad war grow exponentially. Although Sept 11 was a big breakthrough day for the Cause, their overall plan has been executed near perfectly.
Meanwhile, back in Minnesota oily representatives of the MSA, the Moslem Brotherhood's operational arm in America, are meeting in St Paul with the Minnesota Human Rights Department staffers to work out a plan to curb Islamophobia.
News of this inexplicable fact takes me to Code Red Consitution Watch.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at April 4, 2007 6:02 PM
Just try not to bomb us again when we are defending western world and values. This was really insane...
Posted by: LazarOfSerbia
That was insane indeed. I hope you'll post on this board frequently from now on. We need to hear more about the situation in Serbia.
Maybe we can donate to the Serbs via Paypal or something?
In Germany they are starting to 'get it' too. They're talking about how NATO was criminal for what they did to Serbia on politicallyincorrect.de
Posted by: Allahfanculo at April 4, 2007 6:26 PM
We aided the wrong side. It is disgusting. We bombed the Serbs on Easter? I wasn't aware of that, but then I was just getting my 'news' from the NYT and Christiane Ammanpour of CNN fame. Iraq. Serbia. Hell, if we can't get it right, let's pull up the bridges over the moat. Do we change our spots so quickly? Were those lovely little Bosnian Nazis of yesteryear suddenly victims? did they morph into cuddly little Jihadis?? Also, I'm getting a bit tired of Hollywood using the tride-and-true 'pc' killer as the Serb. We can't use a Muslim; no, it must be a crazed rightist Euro-trash Nazi, a Serb, or an orthodox bearded Russian: see 24 for examples of all three.
There is a story in World War II Germany were a Jewish Playwrite wrote the worst possible play he could and it passed muster with flying colors from the Nazi censorship. This many was hidden by a Christian in Berlin; the lady 'authored' the script. I think I could write a script with three bad guys: A bearded Serbian, a bearded Russian General named Gredenko, and a bearded right-wing German politician as the bad guys who are trying to kill a group of poor Albanian migrant workers. Hell, this would pass the 'smell test' in Hollywood and Europe. Sorry for the off topic rant. It is poetic justice, BTW, that Wesley Clark(whose father was a Jewish congressman) bombed the hell out of Serbia for Clinton. The good general made a recent comment about 'New York moneymen' who are pro-Israel. Wes, ya need some a new script. Somebody should ask him about those bombings. There, I feel much better about everything after this rant.
Islam may be a closed system of mind control, but it has no 'rights' on stupidity.
Posted by: biorabbi at April 4, 2007 7:15 PM
Once upon a time, some Demoncrats got together and asked themselves a question. Where can we go and Bomb some Christians and get away with it? Well, Lookie here.
Reason enough to understand the hatred of Bush.
He changed Targets.
Posted by: flowerknife_us at April 4, 2007 8:09 PM
The story above is just part of a larger one. Here is a link, if you'd like to know more:
Posted by: sheik yer'mami at April 4, 2007 11:34 PM
Are you all aware of the website www.hirhome.com ? Francisco Gil-White has some excellent articles on Serbia and Kosovo and the whole mess that has been created there. It is an excellent site with some very provocative viewpoints. Some interesting work on Israel as well.
Cheers!
Posted by: lafn at April 5, 2007 12:57 AM
Iafn
Will check out this site-thanks for info.
Notice Sandzak is described as the poorest region in Serbia-strange that,wherever Muslims are they are always 'poor' unless Infidels are paying them oil dollars or Jizyah.
With a number of veiled females dressed in black from top to toe one wonders what happened to all
those 'secular,democratic' Muslimahs who were so
'western in their ways?'
LazarofSerbia
Keep posting.Serbs look set to have the last laugh at stupid Westeners.You know how to fight &
we do not-Europe has grown soft & weak & Jihadis
scent easy victories as well as easy riches in their intended Caliphate.As for criminal bombing of Serbia this can be likened to Constantinople
made weaker by avarice of supposedly Christian countries until last remnants of great Byzantium Empire fell to Turks!
at April 5, 2007 4:09 AM
Oh My GOD,
It seems that Serbia will be like India defending against terror for eternity...
Thankfully we are India is a big country so it is able to tackle the terror for such a long times, but combined and sustained Islamic terror against a smaller country will certainly make life a hell in Serbia.....
But Serbians, do not give up, hold up until a few more years until the western countries are really bugged with a WMD by these Islamic thugs, then you may go after your enemies.....and recalim your ancient land...
Indians and Hindus are behind you......
at April 5, 2007 4:45 AM
You can see here against whom Serbs are fighting:
http://skynews-clips.videoloungetv.com/public/skynews/latest/bosnia_p3705.wmv
We are waiting now to see how UN SC will vote on Kosovo and if they vote for independence (i.e. Russia refrain from using veto), then jihadists will start "next phase" in south Serbia where we have muslim majority. As you can see they already started logistics and training, obviously just waiting for Kosovo independence to start another war. They will probably again try to stage some "incidents" with themselves as "victims" (as they did in Bosnia and Kosovo, see Gil-White's site) in order to deceive naive westerners. They know it is great strategy with west - just play victims and you can Jihad as much as you like...
http://www.hirhome.com/yugo/guide-yugo.htm
Posted by: LazarOfSerbia at April 5, 2007 5:08 AM
Yes, right. The Serbs shelled Dubrovnick because it was full of Muslims did they, riiiight.
at April 5, 2007 5:42 AM
I have just noticed the news of another four British troops killed by roadside bombs in Iraq, making it 140 in all. This is the scale of the waste of toppling Saddam Hussein then trying to rebuild a country that didn't deserve rebuilding(we should have got out of there once he'd been toppled and let that country stew in its own juice - they don't want to be civilized so let them be barbarians if that is what they want to be). As 15 of the 19 911 bombers came from Saudi Arabia, why on earth didn't we realise that country was the wellspring of this terrorist ideaology and overwhelm it instead, and let our troops walk through Mecca and Medina as the ultimate gesture of defiance?
But back on topic. We did bomb the wrong side in Serbia. We stupidly enabled a Jihad which is right on our doorstep in Europe. Islamists, wherever they live, are laughing at our crass stupidity. We condemn Serbia, just like Israel, but out of our own stupidity and naivety, forget to realise that they sit right on the edge of Islam's bloody frontiers and man civilizations first line of defence against the Jihad.
But as an aside, perhaps we shouldn't mention bombing too often, because if our track record is anything to go by, we just might end up bombing the non-Muslim parts of the Philippines and Thailand, if our Serbia experience is anything to go by.
Posted by: Spirit Of 1683 at April 5, 2007 6:03 AM
Just try not to bomb us again when we are defending western world and values. This was really insane...
There are a lotta Serb-Americans out here in the Midwest.
Let me rephrase that, there are a lotta pissed off Serb-Americans out here.
Beautiful women, great (American) football players, successful race car drivers, fine engineers, but very unhappy at what was done to back in the homeland in the early 90s.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at April 5, 2007 10:44 AM
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