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| Africa: Subsaharan |
| South Africa concedes detained citizens were with al-Qaeda |
| 2004-08-27 |
| SOUTH African officials have had "very limited access" to two South African men being held in Pakistan on suspicion of being al-Qaeda operatives, but it has been confirmed that they were in the company of the terrorist organisation at the time of their arrest, Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils said yesterday. Earlier this month government struck out at the media for the way in which the arrest of Feroz Abu Bakar Ganchi, a doctor, and Zubair Ismail, a student, was reported in the domestic press. It was described as being dangerous and irresponsible to report that South African sites could be targets for attack. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 The recent revelations that South Africans have been involved in international Islamic terrorism come as no shock to me. South Africa is the most lawless country in the world. They have the highest crime rate in the world. South Africa's black community is also amongst the most anti-Semitic, anti-American & anti-capitalist communities in the world. Since the end of Apartheid criminals representing organized crime from all over the world have moved to South Africa. South African "mules" regularly swallow drugs before commercial flights out of Colombia. Al-Qaida could really prey on such a situation. I can see them recruiting poor blacks as well as buying arms & laundering money in South Africa. And of course we all heard about the recent situation with the South African passports. Another enterprise that could benefit Al-Qaida in South Africa could be counterfeit U.S. currency. I would imagine with their crime problems there is a domestic counterfeit industry which counterfeits U.S. currency. Also, the South African criminals that are involved with drug trafficking from Colombia probably also bring back counterfeit U.S. currency, which is another criminal enterprise that Colombians have perfected, but which isn't known to many outside Colombian organized crime. These are all great ways that Al-Qaida could use to further its Jihad. |
| Posted by: Kentucky Beef 2004-08-27 12:03:27 PM |
| #1 "Nqakula stressed that SA could not be immune from global terrorism, but said that government was geared towards creating the necessary conditions that would reduce the threat of terrorism and other crimes in SA." They imagine they can reduce the threat of terrorism by slowly but surely nurturing and encouraging a climate of rabid anti-Israeli and anti-American sentiment. Nelson Mandela was on the guest list when left-wing Israeli Labour politician Shimon Peres recently celebrated his eightieth birthday. Mandela inexplicably failed to make an appearance. The reason, however, is evident: his advisers must have told him that it wouldn't do to be seen siding with the Israelis - even those on the left of the political spectrum. |
| Posted by: Bryan 2004-08-27 8:18:39 AM |