Times Of Swaziland: Bin Laden members  allegedly in hiding

Bin Laden members  allegedly in hiding
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 MABANDLA BHEMBE on 02/01/2010 00:00:00


MBABANE – Fears of terrorism are bound to infiltrate the country extensively
than before during the new decade.
This follows news that a total of 10 male and female Asian nationals linked to
terrorist group Al Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden, are allegedly residing and
living undercover in various parts of the country.
This should undoubtedly trigger a cause for concern to the nation as the New
Year unfolds, as such signs could signal an imminent attack that could most
likely to first strike at our security lacking airport.
Some of the Asian suspects are believed to have arrived in the country in 2005
entering through the country’s various entry points. Their main entry point
was one of the borders in the Eastern part of the country.
Swazi News is in possession of the names of the alleged Al Qaeda members and the
passport numbers they provided when entering the country.
Last year, separate incidents of alleged terrorists attacks were nearly
experienced in the country where bridges were bombed.
However, the suspects were not linked to the Al Qaeda group.
terrorists
Information gathered by the Swazi News is that the terrorists may have chose
Swazi-land for its quietness and enabling environment to work on their targets
without hinderence.
Last month, Al Qaeda group claimed being responsible for the recent attempt to
detonate an explosive device on Detroit-bound Flight 253 on Christmas day by
23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. The attacker was subdued by a
heroic passenger.
The foiled airline attack was the second to happen to a US bound airline
following the infamous 11 September 2001 shocking attack at the World Trade
Centre where dozens of Americans were killed thanks to Al Qaeda group members.
Al Qaeda have also come out to state in the website that  more attacks are lined
up in Africa, Asia, Europe, the former Soviet Republics, the Middle East, as
well as North and South America.
Al Qaeda’s tactics include assassination, bombing, hijacking, kidnapping and
suicide attacks. The word Al-Qaeda is Arabic for the word base.
Strengthen
United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Gordon Brown said to an online publication,
“World leaders should work together in urgency in order to strengthen airport
and airplane security.
“The failed attack reminds the world that terrorism is still a very concrete
threat at a time when the world welcomes the new decade. This new decade begins
just the way the old one did, with the creation of a new climate of fear on the
part of Al Qaeda”, he said.
Police PRO Vusi Masuku said; “These allegations are to receive the serious
investigation they deserve and cannot be taken lightly. Terrorism is a global
enemy, threat to innocent human life and economy.
“We shall cast our net to the length and breath of this country with the aim
of exploring all avenues of our investigation in order to probe and verify the
existence of such allegations.
Convenience
“We appeal to people with information on the matter to volunteer such to the
police through their channels of convenience”.
Masuku further said they will also engage their neighbouring counterparts in
case such people move from one place to another.
“We will also be working hand-in-hand with relevant stakeholders and all our
neighbouring counterparts. Police will not allow this country to be used by
terrorists for whatever reason, which is why we will go all out to ensure that
the matter is thoroughly investigated”, he said.
The suspects are also said to have illegally been issued with local passports by
officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.
Pocket
Our sources alleged that some officers pocket up to E20 000 per head when
facilitating to legiti-mise the stay of the terrorists in the country.
Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration Mgwagwa Gamedze said his ministry had
worked hard to normalise the situation with regard to issuing of passports.
“I have not heard of any incidents of malpractice in the issuing of the new
bar-corded passports. There may have been elements of foul play when they
obtained the old-version passports but I cannot say that now, they are not in
possession of the newly introduced passports.
Before, passports were issued manually but now everything is done systematically
and there is no way they could be in possession of the new passports. Our aim of
introducing the new system was to eradicate the illegal issuing of passports
within the ministry”, he said.
The United States of America (USA) has continuously emphasised its interest and
desire in assisting other countries financially and otherwise towards
rooting-out terrorists and also upholding any individuals linked with Al Qaeda.
The local US embassy could not be reached for comment.
About Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is an international terrorist network led by Usama bin Laden [the
‘Osama’ spelling is deprecated, because there is no letter ‘O’ in
Arabic).
Established around 1988 by bin Laden, al-Qaeda helped finance, recruit,
transport and train thousands of fighters from dozens of countries to be part of
an Afghan resistance to defeat the Soviet Union.
To continue the holy war beyond Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda’s current goal is to
establish a pan-Islamic Caliphate throughout the world by working with allied
Islamic extremist groups to overthrow regimes it deems non-Islamic and expelling
Westerners and non-Muslims from Muslim countries.
In February 1998, Al-Qaeda issued a statement under banner of ‘The World
Islamic Front for Jihad against the Jews and Crusaders’ saying it was the duty
of all Muslims to kill US citizens civilian or military—and their allies
everywhere. Al-Qaeda would merge with Egyptian Islamic Jihad (Al-Jihad) of Ayman
al-Zawahiri in June 2001.
When Al-Qaeda’s attacked the Americans in September 11, 2001, the United
States launched a war in Afghanistan to destroy al-Qaeda’s bases there and
overthrow the Taliban, the country’s Muslim fundamentalist rulers who
harboured bin Laden and his followers.
In 1998, several al-Qaeda leaders issued a declaration calling on Muslims to
kill Americans including civilians as well as those who are allied with them
from among the helpers of Satan.