NEWS Bosnia and global jihad - a reflection not just an ordinary American spy BY REPORTER ON 25 AUGUST 2014 • (POST A COMMENT) 1 Vote

My book "Unholy Terror" (2007) raised the dust rather pointing out an uncomfortable truth - that Bosnia and Herzegovina 90s became the playground and the main reservoir of Al-Qaeda, thanks to the malignant influence of Saudi Arabia and Iran. This was a counter, to say the least, my critics and ardent defenders of the failed policies of the West (especially American) in the Balkans, as well as the usual circle of people - fellow travelers and useful idiots Jihad, plus fervently, for personal reasons, there is no one who looked to where to Europe goes Saudi money.

25/08/2014. 20committee, the FBR was prepared by Biljana Diković
However, my main message - that Islamist extremism, although mainly imported phenomenon in Bosnia, let local roots and will probably continue to metastasize because of persistent social and economic problems facing the country - proved sadly accurate in the past seven years. For years, the debate on Islamism in Bosnia and Southeastern Europe conducted between actors in the security sector on the one hand and academics and journalists, on the other hand, with the first group, who actually understand what was happening on the ground, was concerned about the growing radicalism, while the latter are generally met by turning looks with obvious signs of trouble and accusations of bias and "Islamophobia," those who have pointed to what was going on.

But recently, even many scientists and related "as babi milo to her and merrier" thinkers recognize that Bosnia does have a growing problem of Islamic extremism. In early 2013, the International Crisis Group, an NGO that is important to be considered a leader of wisdom he'd gained the West Balkans, admitted that the problem does exist - "dangerous tango" Islamic radicalism and nationalism in Bosnia. What has been some progress.

If terrorist attacks are a measure of Bosnia is not a big focus. There were a few, thankfully, not fatal, jihadist terrorist incidents in recent years, such as the bombing of the police station in Bugojno in 2010 and shooting at the United States Embassy in Sarajevo 201 years. However, it's not just for comfort, as security experts know. In the first place, the Bosnian radicals tend to go abroad to cause havoc. Their country as European extremists sanctuary, a place where you set up the network - personal, ideological and financial (often focused on Austria, Vienna, because the de facto center of Islamic extremism in the region) to support the jihad elsewhere, including jihad in Europe. Bosnia is, in other words, the starting base - Iranian intelligence services have a similar look to it - and the implementation of terrorism in Bosnia send spam message, because it would lead to unwanted oversight of their activities.

Corrupt Bosnian officials for years, turning his eyes from the rise of extremism in their midst. Even when arrested, known radicals charges mysteriously discarded or, at worst, they "escape" from prison under mysterious circumstances. This is Saudi money and Iranian influence, which nearly a quarter-century foster clandestine network in Bosnia, a malignant role. Your Bosnian police and spies, and there are usually a little bit what I can do to change this situation. Mainly because Western countries, which could significantly help, usually reluctant to acknowledge how serious is the problem. So you have maximum security Bosnian officials are saying one thing to Western diplomats and the media, and quite another - the painful truth - behind closed doors. Welcome to Sarajevo.

Syrian civil installments bloody disintegration of Iraq, with the prominent role of foreign fighters in these terrible conflicts, have drawn attention to Bosnia, and many European countries. According to a reliable estimate of the number of Bosnians who in 2011 went to Syria and Iraq to lead a holy war is under fifty, and the region it currently has about seventy. Among them is Nusret Imamovic, leading Bosnian Salafists propagator of jihad and minor media "gadfly" who went to Syria late last year to boost troops on the ground. Significantly Imamoviæ supports Džabat Al-Nusra, jihadist faction of al-Qaeda in Syria, not a radical Islamic state, which has led to a schism in the various Bosnian extremist circles as younger Balkan radicals rather support an Islamic state and are looking to join it .

Many Bosnian Muslims were shocked on August 7, when Emrah Fojnica year-old Bosnian fighter of the Islamic state, blew up in a suicide attack in Baghdad. With the two "brothers" from Saudi Arabia and Libya, Fojnica tied a bomb vest and walked into a crowded market, killing twenty-four civilians, among whom there were eleven women and six children, two of them babies. Although the suicide bombing all but unknown in the Bosnian extremist circles, there were questions about what's going on, especially when it was revealed that the deceased's father openly celebrated the "martyrdom" of her son. "Later it was discovered that the younger Fojnica was well known to the Bosnian authorities and he was arrested in connection with the attack on the American embassy in Sarajevo in 2011, but was acquitted of terrorism charges for unknown reasons.

Bosnian authorities found it difficult to stop the departure of potential jihadists to Syria and Iraq, not only because they Turkey provides free transit through its territory. And to be fair to Sarajevo, no European country has not yet built a Fruitful system to prevent radical departure to the Middle East and jihad in their minds. It is taken as a positive sign that Bosnia in the spring implemented a new law to punish citizens who go abroad to wage jihad - with real consequences, including up to ten years in prison. Finally something is done. Or so it seemed.

In Bosnia, however, the entry into force of the law and law enforcement are two different things. As revealed in the new reports in Sarajevo newsmagazines "Free Bosnia", which has a long history of excellent investigative reporting on extremism and corruption in Bosnia, fifty Bosnian jihadists returned home from Syria and Iraq over the last two months, and since the new law effective, but none of them have been arrested. Even worse, the Bosnian government did not bring a single one of the jihadists testing, although their identities are known to the Bosnian security agencies, perhaps because the Balkan contingent Islamic state openly boasted of their exploits on Facebook.
Moreover, the Salafist propagandists continue to incite young Bosnians abroad for jihad, with the obligatory anthem new "Kalif" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State, and on the Internet and in Bosnian mosques - all illegal, but apparently not illegal in real life. Just an example from this week: Bilal, the leader of the pro-ID factions among Bosnian radicals, he told his followers to join the struggle of the Islamic state, no response from authorities.

Meanwhile, the Salafist violence continues to grow in Bosnia. In early August, Damir Delic mudlark and petty criminal who turned religious radicalism in all too familiar pattern, chased with police in Hollywood-style car at full speed through the center of Sarajevo, firing at police, who had finally calmed down a shot in the leg. Delic was known to the authorities and notoriety in his Sarajevo suburb for street attack on young Muslim women who were trained in accordance with Delic understanding of decency. When Bosnians return home friški the killing fields of Iraq and Syria, where they learned to cut off heads and blow up innocent, we can expect that robbers like Delic give a new generation of officers and teachers.

Against this tide of violent extremism can be fought successfully. Authority in Kosovo last week conducted a series of raids across the small country and arrested forty suspects radicals who fought in Syria and Iraq. This sent a strong message that extremism will not be tolerated and that the law will be enforced. In relation to the population, forty jihadists arrested in Kosovo as in Germany in 1800 and 1400 Pristina Britain deserves praise for taking a strong stance on this important issue. It's something I need to look up the whole of Europe. Kosovo is equally as Bosnia mired in poverty and corruption, maybe more. It is a question of will, not the funding and foreign aid. While local authorities do not resolve to confront the problem of radicalism in their midst, he will continue to metastasize.
The rise of the murderous Islamic state as a major force in the Middle East will influence on Europe, given the large number of Europeans who have joined it. Chaos-type Islamic state turned to the West: it can only be delayed, not stopped completely. Bosnia is on the front line of European resistance to the madness, it's time to recognize this reality before it's too late.
About the author: John R. Schindler is a professor of national security at the Navy War College, USA. Before that, he spent ten years at the NSA and served kojekude, and that in this region speak his earlier e-mail, titovka@yahoo.com, and current, opdunav83@yahoo.com. One of its (promotional) analysis translated into Serbian and Austria and Bosnia-Syrian jihadist link | Warehouse
Source: Bosnia and the Global Jihad Revisited | The XX Committee Translated by: Aleksandar Jovanovic