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| Europe |
| Franceâs Islamist Threat |
| 2003-11-29 |
| An interview with Pierre de Bousquet de Florian, the director of DST (Direction de la surveillance du territoire: Franceâs version of the CIA). Translated by the Radical from LâExpress. Q: What do you think of the Islamist threat affecting France? Three types of threats are currently converging that may transform France into a target of Islamist terrorism. The first is the rise of Salafism [a radical form of Islam founded on a literal interpretation of the Koran]. For the past several years, Franceâs Muslim community has demonstrated a tendency to return to its religionâs sources. The Salafi fundamentalists are the most active in this domain. This results in a community-wide intransigence that is deadly for our secular society that embraces assimilation. I fear that this radicalization that is pronounced among the younger generations will be a breeding ground for terrorists. The second threat comes from our historical ties to the Maghreb that is currently shaken by extremist movements and terrorism. In Algeria this summer, a new emir assumed leadership in the Salafi Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). This man, Nabil Sahraoui, is more attuned to the exportation of Islamist violence than his predecessor, and Sahraoui has sworn allegiance to Al-Qaeda. Finally, the third menace results from the fact that Iraq has become a land of jihadâa convergence point for young militants. Q: There are rumors of dozens of French Islamists in Iraq⊠What we know for certain is that, before the Iraq conflict began, several dozen French wanted to fight in Iraq. Some never made it past the border. Others were rejected by Saddam Husseinâs troops. To the best of our knowledge, no French citizen is a prisoner of the coalition forces today. No French citizen died in combat. However, some French would obviously like to find themselves in Iraq. Consequently, there is a significant risk that France will confront the emergence of a third generation that is returning to Europe and that was formed on the battlefields, after the Bosnian and Afghan-Pakistan generations. The Afghan-Pakistan conflict is responsible for the bulk of the terrorists arrested during the past few years. Q: There has been no Islamist attack on French soil since 1996. How do you explain that? Letâs not exaggerate. French soil may not have been targeted, but let us not forget that the French were specifically targeted at Karachi. Others were affected in the attacks on Bali, Djerba and Casablanca. The French oil tanker, Limburg, was the target of a suicide attack in Yemen⊠Q: Have attacks on France been thwarted? Yes, several times. A suicide bomber tried to explode a truck against the American embassy in Paris in 2001. In 2002, we took apart a cell in La Courneuve and at Romainville that was preparing an attackâprobably chemicalâagainst a Russian delegation in Paris. This group was linked to another group in the UK that planned to place ricinâthat can be fatal even if touchedâon door handles in public places. Since September of 2001, the DST has arrested 120 militants. Sixty have been locked away. Today, France may not be on the front lines with the US, Israel, the UK and the coalition members of âFreedom in Iraq;â however we shouldnât deceive ourselves. The Islamists include us in their hatred of the West and of its âcrusaders.â The threat remains. |
| Posted by:tipper. |
| #2 OT : actually the DST is the equivalent of the FBI, in its counter-intelligence & counter-terrorism functions (domestic surveillance being the attribute of the Renseignements généraux, and legal actions being undertaken by the specialized judges from the DNAT). The equivalent of the CIA would be the DGSE. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-29 4:39:55 AM |
| #1 Naw Pierre, France is above the fray. Hows that world cup tourney going? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-11-29 1:29:44 AM |