Geostrategy Direct (May 13th edition, no link. Thanks to Paul for the hardcopy) writes that Kuwait has uncovered a network linked to al-Qaeda when it stuck its head up to go and fight in northern Iraq in March and April. The network was headed by a Saudi cleric, Sheik Hamoud Al-Aqla Al-Shuebi. Al-Shuebi was reported to have brought hundred of his students — Kuwaiti nationals — to Iraq through Jordan and Syria. The group was composed of seminarians and former soldiers. They attempted to link with Ansar al-Islam, near the Iranian border. Ansar had an estimated 500 killed, but it is not known how many were from the Kuwaiti group. Ansar's total strength before the war was estimated at 700-800. After Ansar was destroyed, the group returned to Kuwait through Syria, where at some of them, including Shuebi, were arrested. Others remain at large.
| This sounds more like a pickup group than a genuine terror network, more along the lines of the saps who rushed off to fight the infidels in the Afghan war, funneled in by Tehrik Nifaz Shariah Mohammadi. TNSM's leader, Sufi Mohammad, was sentenced to seven years in jug when he got back to Pakistan, and most of his jihadis who didn't get themselves killed had to be ransomed. We don't hear much about TNSM anymore. On the other hand, there sure are a lot of Soddies who like to lead jihads. Given last week's events, perhaps Prince Nayef would like to have a little talk with this one... |
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