The rise of homegrown extremism in Europe is repeatedly manifested in frequent arrests and thwarted plots throughout the region . Recent arrests in Denmark illustrate the development of intricate nets of extremist associations across Europe. On September 5, 2006, Danish authorities announced the arrests of nine men suspected of preparing terror acts (source). The men were arrested in Odensa, yielding presumptions of a broader issue with home-spun extremism in the small Scandinavian nation. Included in the group were a number of ethnic Danes who apparently joined forces with their immigrant colleagues in acquiring materials to assemble explosives for the planned attack. Justice Minister Lene Espersen confirmed, though, that the men had been under surveillance for some time (source).
Odensa is the third largest town in Denmark and host of a significant number of immigrants and institutions catering to Muslim residents. The quiet town came into the limelight after German investigators discovered a phone number to a Muslim Imam in Odensa among the belongings of the Lebanese man charged with plotting to blow up the German trains in July . The Lebanese suspect is believed to have planned to take refuge in the Danish town, illustrating that networks of safe havens and financial assistance are wide-spread across Europe with perpetrators using their residence cards to find safe harbor elsewhere.
These arrests followed another announcement two weeks ago of charges against four Muslim men originally detained in October 2005. On August 24, 2006, Danish authorities announced that the four Muslim men who had been arrested in October 2005 had been charged in Copenhagen in connection with a Bosnian investigation (source). The trial is set for sometime in early 2007 after authorities postponed the hearings. The reason for the adjournment remains unclear; however, official statements indicate that the investigation is still open. Authorities have not confirmed if the arrests are linked to this case; however, the circumstances reveal yet another intricate network spanning Europe.
The counter-operation initiated in Bosnia after a culmination of evidence in October 2005 led Bosnian authorities to believe that two watched extremists were very close to carrying out an attack in Europe. Authorities raided the men’s Sarajevo apartment and arrested the two men. The thwarted plot made headlines upon the disclosure of the men’s nationality and age: Mirsad Bektasevic (19) citizen of Sweden and Abdulkadir Cesur (18) Danish citizen. In addition to their arrests, police seized weapons, ammunition, and explosives, including a suicide bomber belt and a video tape with suicide notes from the men, all indicating that the plot was in its final stages (source). Although the target was not revealed, authorities confirmed that the strike was aimed at a European country in an attempt to coerce the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq (source).
According to prosecutors, the four men now standing trial in Denmark helped Bektasevic and Cesur acquire the weapons and explosives for the planned attack (source). The men are aged between 17 and 21; this too provides evidence that home-spun extremism in Europe is engaging youth in operations.
The international links of the Bosnian case do not stop there. In Britain, two detained men gained worldwide attention. One was a notorious instigator of radical Islamist propaganda, ‘Irahabi 007′, who was also viewed as a pioneer of virtual jihad (Terror Web Watch). Investigators found email links between the two arrested men in Sarajevo and Irahabi 007 and were subsequently able to locate the latter. The other was well-known Muslim radical cleric Omar Bakri Mohammad, the leader of the radical group al-Muhajiroun who became known for his praise of the 9/11 attacks as well as the July bombings in London . Denmark’s former intelligence chief, Joergen Bonnichsen, said in an interview, “We became aware of the group [of the four charged men] two years ago when its members traveled to London to meet a Muslim cleric [Bakri] known for his radical views” (source). Bonnichsen stated that he considers the suspects’ trip a ‘radicalization trip,’ confirming known data that Britain’s radical Imams contribute to the radicalization and indoctrination of youth coming from other parts of the region.
The development highlights a disturbing trend of increasingly younger individuals being subsumed in radical groups. Authorities throughout Europe claim to be aware of this development, and governmental efforts are being put into getting to the bottom of the sources of radicalization. That the September 5 arrests were made in the suburb of Vollemose, known for their predominantly immigrant population, might display one of the characteristic root causes. TRC has repeatedly emphasized the problems in segregated and generally underprivileged suburbs of bigger European cities with predominantly immigrant residents whose conditions often serve as catalysts to action against the host government and the West .
The threat landscape that is becoming visible depicts a drift to low-intensity armed operations adopted by disillusioned and radicalized youth ranging from 15-30 years in age. These low-intensity campaigns become difficult to trace as younger groups emerge seeking collaborative relations, and the need for a centralized, more experienced body of command fades away. This development combined with the sophistication of cross-regional terror operations calls for continued and enhanced cooperation between European law enforcement agencies.
