Al-Qaeda 'split into tiny cells'

2006-07-06 20:01

Berlin - Al-Qaeda has splintered off into countless autonomous Islamist cells, creating a tricky moving target for law enforcement, Germany's domestic intelligence service chief said on Thursday.

"They are apparently no longer in a position to plan attacks or lead operations like we saw on September 11," Heinz Fromm told AFP in an interview on the eve of the anniversary of the London bombings.

As in the attacks that rocked the British capital, the danger was now more likely to originate from small groups of radicalised local Islamists, he said.

"Five people, maybe even fewer, are enough to plan an attack," he said.

Fromm said European security officers faced a constant battle monitoring such groups and keeping them under control.

Ideology

"There is no operational headquarters for al-Qaeda somewhere in the mountains. The groups now operate locally," he said.

"Today it is more an ideology - the foundations of holy war - that is propagated by Osama bin Laden and other leaders."

He said young Muslims drew inspiration from images of battles and attacks in Iraq on the internet or the messages sent by bin Laden and al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri.

"These people think about how they could contribute to global jihad."

Some go to Iraq to mount suicide bombings, others focus on Europe as a potential target, he said.

Fromm said European security sources faced the dual challenge of stopping the insurgency in Iraq from growing due to a flow of volunteers from Europe, and stopping militants returning from Iraq from plotting attacks in Europe.

"Those extremists who have been in Iraq enjoy great respect among young people," he said, adding that they had the potential to become cell leaders.

Four British bombers killed 52 people and maimed about 700 more on the capital's transport network in the July 7 attacks of last year in an atrocity that awoke the nation to the reality of home-grown Islamist suicide attacks.

- AFP