On April 11, 2007, a Danish court sentenced Moroccan-born Danish citizen, Said Mansour, 47, to three and one half years in prison for inciting terrorism. Arrested in September 2005, Mansour was found guilty of producing and distributing multimedia materials, to include CD-ROMs and DVDs, for the promotion of terrorism. Mansour is the first to be convicted under Denmark’s newly established anti-terrorism law. Although this is the first time an individual has been convicted, this is not the first time Danish authorities have arrested individuals on suspicion of terrorism.
In September 2006, Danish authorities announced the arrests of nine men suspected of preparing terror acts. Included in the group were a number of ethnic Danes who had, along with immigrant colleagues residing in Denmark, acquired materials to prepare a planned terrorist attack in Europe. The investigation also uncovered information indicating the suspects had maintained contact with international terrorists around the globe to include credible ties to a Bosnian investigation.
This latest spate of arrests and subsequent conviction may underscore the seemingly un-scathed nation’s perceived importance as a strategic locale for the global terrorist front. It is unclear whether the arrest and conviction of Said Mansour will have a lasting affect on others who may wish to follow in his footsteps. It is probable, as with terrorist cells elsewhere in the world, that his absence will be short lived, allowing for a successor to pick up where he left off.
Police Seize CD-ROMs and Computer Disks
During the investigation into Said Mansour’s operations, Danish police seized approximately 3,000 CD-ROMs and roughly 500 computer disks from his residence. Many of these items contained inflammatory jihadist propaganda and disturbing images of hostage executions in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Mansour was distributing the material through his small publishing house called “Al Nur Islamic Information.” His materials were sent across Europe, including to a mosque in Italy where officials believe an Islamic extremist cell is based. The material, recovered from his home and car, as well as markets, was produced between June 7, 2002 and September 8, 2005. He is accused of producing and distributing a total of 12,000 CDs and videos, containing speeches and chants promoting jihad and praising terrorism. The court professed that Mansour’s activities are to be considered general professional advice to terror groups in relation to al Qaeda and al Qaeda-inspired organizations that intend to commit terror acts. The court found no evidence that Mansour’s materials had provided concrete support to any particular terrorist attack. However, Mansour’s promotional materials are doubly troubling as they were targeted at Muslim youth.
Mansour Maintained High-Level Terrorist Connections
Said Mansour continues to plead innocent to the charges. However, as he has been under surveillance since 2001, investigators have gathered substantial incriminating evidence. The investigation has focused on Mansour’s extensive ties to international terrorist suspects both within and outside of the al Qaeda network. Within his virtual Rolodex of terrorist contacts, Mansour boasted of having personal contacts with Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, who is believed to have masterminded the first attack against the World Trade Center in 1993 (previous report), and is currently serving a life sentence in the US.
Mansour also allegedly maintained contact with the leader of al Qaeda’s Spanish branch and personally met with Abu Qutada- a key figured involved with al Qaeda financing in Europe. He was also the registered user of a postal box in Denmark in the 1990s for al Qaeda in Iraq’s deceased leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Denmark Important Locale in Terrorist Front
The Moroccan-born Dane’s terrorist connections may be indicative of Denmark’s position as an important locale in the global terrorist front. The small nation has yet to fall victim to attack, yet evidence supports the notion that it is home to many Islamic extremist supporters like Said Mansour.
It is important to note Mansour’s sophistication and ability. Mansour honed his skills as a mouthpiece of terrorist support, managing to maintain high-level connections to al Qaeda while at the same time maintaining a low profile. His story, although seemingly unique, may be one of many yet to be uncovered by Danish officials. Similarly, the arrests of nine Danish based individuals in September 2006 also yielded a number of interpersonal connections to international members of the global jihad.
These recent arrests in Denmark underscore the cultivation of intricate extremist networks both within individual European nations and across the region.
