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Of course, Al-Qaeda in Islamic North Africa (not Islamic enough for them, clearly) was formerly the Algerian Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC). The fact that they invoke Israeli action in Gaza -- never mind the Qassams-- as an excuse to attack underscores the ultimately global goal of imposing Islamic law that that gives one local jihadist movement ideological common cause with another.
"Al-Qaida: 2 Austrian tourists kidnapped," by Omar Sinan for the Associated Press:
CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa claimed responsibility for kidnapping two Austrian tourists last month in Tunisia in an audio recording aired Monday on Al-Jazeera television.
A man who identified himself as Salah Abu Mohammed said in the recording that the terrorist group kidnapped the two Austrians on Feb. 22 in retribution for Western cooperation with Israel, but said the hostages were in good health.
In addition to further underscoring the global nature of local jihadist conflicts, "revenge" attacks like this are handy in that they don't have to make sense, as long as there's a sense of grievance and/or dishonor (however spurious) that can serve as a pretext for acts they'd probably commit anyway. If it weren't Gaza, it would be the "West Bank." Or simply the continued existence of the "apostate" Tunisian government. Everyone can play. Create your own.
"We tell Western tourists that at the same time they are flowing into Tunisian lands seeking joy, our brothers are being slain in Gaza by the Jews with the collaboration of the Western states," said Abu Mohammed.
"The mujahideen have previously warned and alerted them that the apostate Tunisian state cannot and will not be able to protect you, and the hands of the mujahideen can reach you wherever you are on the Tunisian soil."
The Washington-based SITE Institute, which monitors militant Islamic Web sites, also reported the claim by al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa, saying it was posted on jihadist Internet forums.
The two Austrian tourists were identified as Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber in the al-Qaida statement, a copy of which SITE provided to The Associated Press. Austrian media have identified Ebner as a 51-year-old tax consultant from the town of Hallein, and said 43-year-old Kloiber is his girlfriend.
Johann Froehlich, the Austrian ambassador to Tunisia, said in a TV interview with broadcaster ORF on Monday that he had just met with Tunisian Foreign Ministry officials about the case but could not confirm the media reports.
The Austrian government said last week that two Austrian tourists had been missing in Tunisia since mid-February. The Foreign Ministry described them as a 51-year-old man and a 40- to 45-year-old woman.
Officials said they the tourists hadn't been heard from since they placed a phone call from the Matmata area in southern Tunisia. Authorities said the missing couple was driving a Jeep with Austrian license plates when they disappeared in the North African country.
Posted by Marisol at March 10, 2008 6:16 PM
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Excuse me, but, why do they go to an Islamic country? I don't get it.
Posted by: darcy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 10, 2008 6:52 PM
For those who may not have been followiing Tunisia, it is regarded as an "apostate state" because Habib Bourguiba, who won independence from France, wanted Tunisia to be modern, and knew that Islam would, if it were not tamed or at least tied down, continue to hold Tunisia back. So Bourguiba, and his Destour Party, kept control of that country -- and thank god they did -- and it is now not a model of freedom, but in many ways an authoriarian regime, under Ben Ali, and Islam -- the real Islam -- is kept down so that, for exmaple, women need not be veiled or hijabbed, and such people as Gannouchi are kept in line. But this requires a firm hand, and a firm hand is what educated, advanced Tunisians, those who understand what Islam, unchecked, would mean for them, want.
You can sometimes see programs -- documentaries --about Tunisia on the French television channel available in this country. The Tunisian subjects are usually completely francisant, speaking French, and offering a strictly benign couleur-locale view of Islam, mostly in terms of geometric designs on ceilings and walls and floors. The subject of Islam in Tunisia, and how Bourguiba and his successors have, sometimes ruthlessly and unapologetically, kept it down -- that's never dealt with.
Of course, for Al Qaeda Tunisia is an outrage. And so too are any of those European sun-in-the-fun tourists who may arrive, either to be directed in organized frolics by gentils organisateurs of Club Mediterranee, or simply to soak up the sun, or the fabled inland cities, on their own.
Without oil, Tunisia needs to rely on olive oil (look at all those bottles carefully labelled "Bottled in Italy" with the oil coming from somewhere, many somewheres, else) and dates (check those fresh Tunisian dates still on the branch, at Monoprix and other French grocery
chains), and other foods, and of course tourism. But start kidnapping Europeans, and there goes the tourism.
And that is why the Tunisian government will come down hard, very hard, on Al Qaeda and all of its related succursales.
Posted by: Hugh at March 10, 2008 7:00 PM
Bourguiba once went on national Tunisian television and - to set an example for the entire nation, broke the Ramadan day-time fast. He told his people the fast was interfering with the productive capacities of the nation.
Hugh is right...Tunisia is secular and modern precisely because of the absence of Democracy there. There will be no Islamization via the vote - (ala Turkey) - anytime soon.
One other point: Tunisian customs profile Arab/Muslim tourists coming in from Europe because of the increased possibility of terrorist infiltration. Too bad the hurdle of political correctness is so insurmountable that such a common-sense policy is impossible to implement in the West.
Posted by: Cornelius at March 10, 2008 7:23 PM
Friend of mine is a physicist of Jewish-Tunisian origin. Never had a problem there, not until he moved to France. The gov does a good job there.
Bit of an irony here. Austria is the main sanctions-breaker in Europe for Iran.
at March 10, 2008 7:29 PM
And that is why the Tunisian government will come down hard, very hard, on Al Qaeda and all of its related succursales.
by Hugh
It's hard to tell if the glass is half-full or half-empty. The Tunisian govt will come down hard on al Qaeda because they're doing economic damage to Tunisia? It's something but does it mean all that much in the global environment? Is it because they oppose al Qaeda or because they oppose al Qaeda attacking inside Tunisia? Do they oppose Islamist terrorism in principle or only if it affects THEM? Are they all that different from most other Arab governments in their treatment of terrorists? (Do whatever you want, as long as you do it somewhere else. Do it here and you're dead.) They've pardoned and released terrorists in the not-too-distant past.
On February 27, 2006, Tunisian President Zine Abidine Ben Ali released over 1,600 prisoners by official pardon—some 70 of them considered to be Islamists from the outlawed al-Nahda (awakening) movement—many of whom had been jailed on terrorism-related charges (http://www.akhbar.tn, February 26). Nearly 1,300 of the prisoners were released unconditionally, while 359 others were released on unspecified conditions. The government statement announcing the release also mentioned that 260 of the freed prisoners were released under special conditions that they report to the government and take other unspecified measures to ensure that they do not re-offend (Radio Tunis, February 26).
http://faithcommons.org/tunisia_and_al_qaeda_inspired_terrorism
at March 10, 2008 7:31 PM
what are two Australian citizens doing in tanzi for???
just how insane is it for two non-muslim Australians to go into the waste land of islamic jihad and think that nothing would happen to them???
play on the freeway during rush hour and you will get run over........ or in this case.......... jihaded.........
Posted by: ??? at March 10, 2008 7:50 PM
Vacation or visit a Muslim country for any reason and you get whatever happens. What's the attraction, anyway? Austria will, no doubt, try to ransom them out. Stupid.
Posted by: Rick at March 10, 2008 7:51 PM
what are two Australian citizens doing in tanzi for???
just how insane is it for two non-muslim Australians to go into the waste land of islamic jihad and think that nothing would happen to them???
play on the freeway during rush hour and you will get run over........ or in this case.......... jihaded.........
Posted by: ??? at March 10, 2008 7:50 PM
Vacation or visit a Muslim country for any reason and you get whatever happens. What's the attraction, anyway? Austria will, no doubt, try to ransom them out. Stupid.
Posted by: Rick at March 10, 2008 7:51 PM
Just what I asked in my post (first post). Why go to those countries? France, Switzerland and Italy are not beautiful enough???
at March 10, 2008 7:58 PM
Dang! There go the Roman ruins in Tunisia from the big tour list!
Till the Tunisians can control their Islamophrenia within their borders, guess it's best for infidels to visit civilized areas.
Let them eat Korans.
Posted by: profitsbeard at March 10, 2008 8:09 PM
Did anyone hear about the 'Mediterranean Union Conference'? This article is from Dec. 12 last year but I myself only heard about this very recently..
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3016610,00.html
What *are* they thinking? Or should I ask.. drinking?
Posted by: Allah Schmallah at March 10, 2008 8:38 PM
Ali Sina's website faithfreedom has once again been attacked, this time it is a DoS attack.
Posted by: UsKanna at March 10, 2008 10:57 PM
Tunisia was, so far, relatively safe apart from a bomb-attack on a synagogue nothing much happened in the last 20 years. But its happening now...
In other news:
Jewish groups want hate crimes squad
VICTORIAN police are resisting calls by powerful Melbourne Jewish figures to set up a hate crimes squad to tackle the growing number of anti-Semitic attacks.
http://sheikyermami.com/2008/03/11/jewish-groups-want-hate-crimes-squad/
Looks like the Jews are being left out in the cold once again...
Posted by: sheik yer'mami at March 10, 2008 10:59 PM
Ali Sina's faithfreedom.org is currently under a DoS attack and is not available.
Regards,
UsKanna
at March 10, 2008 11:18 PM
Jihad Watch should be required reading before planning your next vacation, especially if you're traveling into Islamic regions. Hope they find these two people alive, and not on some snuff film produced by Al-Qaeda.
Posted by: champ at March 10, 2008 11:38 PM
This hideous story illustrates how easily and how cheaply fanatic Muslims can destroy with very little costs to themselves, entire sectors of the world economy.
Muslims are the all-time spoilers of everything. With a mere 2-3 million in expense, and a network which numbered in the few dozens, they extorted the spending and loss of several trillion dollars from the US economy.
In Tunisia, an "operation" which probably cost less than £20,000 will probably cost the Tunisians millions upon millions.
these are the dramatic examples of the destruction wreaked by Islam.
Now add to this the mounting costs of global surveillance, court costs, welfare payments to demanding lazy Muslim immigrants burdening the welfare states of the West, while birthing ever spiraling litters of new Muslim babies, and eventually, slowly, but inexorably the collapsing proceeds. After the enzymes of Islam digest the sinews of the modern nation state, the minions of Islam fill the crevices
Posted by: jsla at March 10, 2008 11:41 PM
Vacation or visit a Muslim country for any reason and you get whatever happens. What's the attraction, anyway? Austria will, no doubt, try to ransom them out. Stupid.
Posted by: Rick
---
They will but they shouldn't. Let anyone who is looking for a "bargain" in a moslem country - thereby supporting the enemy - purchase jihad-insurance if they want to be bailed out later.
I am sorry but the taxpayers of no country should be taken to task to bail out the recklessly romanic, naive and adventurous.
I'll vacation In Spain or in Brazil, thank you very much.
Posted by: Allah Schmallah at March 11, 2008 12:42 AM
The irony of all this is the fact that Austria is one of the most hostile European states towards Israel and Jews. I rather suspect that this is a crime of opportunity and a perfect example of how Islam was really founded upon the brigandage of Muhammad. It never really took off until in Medina Muhammad decided that crime pays. And he got away with it.
I would never, ever travel to a Muslim country. Even in our own countries we are not absolutely safe from these savages.
at March 11, 2008 12:43 AM
Fred, I am 100 - 1000% with you on that one! I could never understand.. and I am talking way before 911.. why anyone would ever want to travel to a moslem country.
Nor could I understand why they were allowed to study Nuclear Physics at our universities.
Pakiland wouldn't have the bomb today if those in charge had been thinking along with me..
Fred, let the Austrians learn who their real enemies are.
No Austrian has ever been taken hostage by Israelis.
Nor by Jews.
Any questions?
at March 11, 2008 1:20 AM
I would never, ever travel to a Muslim country. Even in our own countries we are not absolutely safe from these savages.
Posted by: FredIsinglass
I never travel to any muslim country, or anywhere there is political unrest, which means I mostly stay local. And you are right, there are some areas in America that even the bad guys stay out of.
I don't fear cars, but I also don't play on the freeway to prove it...
at March 11, 2008 1:37 AM
There are few easy answers when it comes to dealing with this plague of Islam.
While it's understandable that non-Muslims should avoid Muslim counties, doing so is in a way a surrender to Islam.
Having spent a summer in a Paris suburb, and having been to Israel/"Palestine", I have no intention of ever spending a second in The House of Islam.
However, some considerations:
- Many parts of Europe are now effectively Islamized. Should these also be avoided/surrendered?
- All of "The Muslim World" was once non-Muslim.
Just like parts of Paris and Amsterdam; Tunisia, Libya, Syria and "Turkey" were all formerly Christian territories.
The fact is that Muslim countries cannot be completely ignored for the simple reason that they have most of the world's most used energy source. [I suspect this is some sort of divine test...]
Also, Muslims quite sensibly avoid Muslim countries when they have a chance, which is why they keep infiltrating the lands of "the infidels".
Some other points:
- I spent 100 years in Choisy-le-Roi, a Paris suburb, one summer 20 years ago. It was a real shit-hole. It must be 10 times worse now.
- Politicians and media etc should be called to account when they speak of "the Muslim world" "Muslim countries" etc. It's not inaccurate, because the fact is that Muslims always dominate when they are the majority. But do people mean that when they say "the Muslim world"? No. It's used as a sign of respect. Do we hear "Christian countries"? "The Christian world"? LMHO
- "Muslim countries" are either non-Koranic, non-Sharia dictatorships [Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Shah's Iran, Indonesia] or Sharia/"fundamentalist" states [I.R. Iran, Saudi Arapia] or somewhere in the middle [Sudan, Pakistan etc]
Posted by: Brian Akira at March 11, 2008 2:08 AM
The mujahideen have previously warned and alerted them that the apostate Tunisian state cannot and will not be able to protect you, and the hands of the mujahideen can reach you wherever you are on the Tunisian soil.
Let this be a lesson to our terminally uninformed politicians. Here in Dar al Harb, there is still a chance for us to protect ourselves. If we continue to let the mujahideen into our nations to live amongst us, that chance will be gone, as it is for the Tunisians.
Posted by: special_guest at March 11, 2008 3:42 AM
I agree with darcy. I can't understand why Europeans and Australians insist on vacationing in muslim lands. No wonder so many Americans buy RVs! We have no intention of taking our wives or families overseas anymore. No desire. At least a lot of us.
Posted by: Bingo at March 11, 2008 6:34 AM
It's stupid enough to vacation in an islamic country. There is a TV show on HGTV called Uncharted Territories where clueless Brits and other Europeans are buying up and renovate property there to live and vacation because the real estate is so cheap compared to Britain, France, Italy etc. They do so at their own peril, ignorance and stupidity.
One morning they will look over their terrace in Fez or some other still-fabulously cheap city to see gunfire fights, bombinb attacks. Wonder if they will think they got such a good deal then. Serves them right for being so dumb as to BUY PROPERTY TO LIVE IN AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY. I laugh at them.
Posted by: j_not_a at March 11, 2008 7:01 AM
May this be a lesson to all those muslim states who want to get more civilized, but who, at the same time, leave islamic nonsense unchecked.
When the islamists start attacking their pockets, then will the muslim nations realize how wrong theyr are in not surpressing hate preachers~.
Posted by: Crusader at March 11, 2008 9:11 AM
The fact is that Muslim countries cannot be completely ignored for the simple reason that they have most of the world's most used energy source. [I suspect this is some sort of divine test...]
posted above
We could pass the test if we just found another energy source. But we don't want to. They want to live in a totally Islamic world and we should let them - within the confines of the 22 countries now designated as "Muslim". The rest of the world - the world of peaceful people - should be closed to them.
Posted by: PMK at March 11, 2008 10:12 AM
I agree with PMK. The moslems need to live behind an impenetrable iron curtain.
It's their actions against us which necessitate this.
Posted by: Allah Schmallah at March 11, 2008 12:27 PM
They are AUSTRIAN, not Australian.
Posted by: margheri at March 11, 2008 1:00 PM
Everything is tied to Israel and Western support of it. Enough. As if the BILLIONS of US Taxpayer Dollars counted for nothing - oh wait it does if your Arafat - Yassir or Suha. Why do our "leaders" in government, i.e. State, White House, etc continue ad nauseum to spout out all their platitudes about the "Palestinians" in spite of all the obvious and glaring horrors that the citizens of Israel suffer on a daily basis? Are the "Palestinians" taking our foreign aid and depositing it in secret Swiss bank accounts to soften Condi Rice's, et al retirement or is it a combination of PA and Saudi money...
Posted by: HOV Dummy at March 11, 2008 2:22 PM
I would never, ever travel to a Muslim country. Even in our own countries we are not absolutely safe from these savages.
Posted by: FredIsinglass
I won't travel to Europe for the same reason. And Minneapolis come to think if it.
At least Tunisia is making an effort. But then again, GW hasn't tried to win the hearts and minds of the Tunisians and show them the benefits of democracy, yet.
Posted by: walterc at March 11, 2008 2:52 PM
Another casualty of Al-Qaeda in North Africa is the cancellation of the 2008 "Dakar Rally".
"It was the first time in the 30-year history of the automobile, motorbike and truck race across the Sahara that it has been called off. In a statement, organizers cited international tensions, the murder of the French tourists on Dec. 24 and "threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organizations."
"In the past, terrorism fears have forced organizers to cancel individual stages or reroute the race. In 2000, several stages were scrapped after a threat forced organizers to airlift the entire race from Niger to Libya to avoid danger zones. Several stages were also called off in 2004, reportedly because of terror threats in Mali."
The 2009 race will be moved to Argentina and Chile.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/04/sports/dakar.php
at March 11, 2008 3:57 PM
And you are right, there are some areas in America that even the bad guys stay out of.
Posted by: duh_swami at March 11, 2008 1:37 AM
-------------------------------
it just might be the pillboxes in the front yard and the quard towers in the rear yard that keep the riff raff out of our neighborhood.............
at March 11, 2008 9:05 PM
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