Highlights
– Influence of IJU is growing
– IJU is exploiting fissures and the disaffected in German society
– IJU has moved beyond Uzbek issues to achieve global reach
Until 2004, very little was known about the Islamic Jihad Union/Group (IJU), a murky group that is purportedly a splinter or offshoot group of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). In the last year, however, this reclusive group has grown from a regional organization focused on Uzbekistan to an organization that has emerged on the global stage with global ambitions. While Pakistan appears to be the epicenter for IJU terrorist training camps, Germany is emerging as the fulcrum for recruitment for new cells of the organization and as its Western footprint.
Notable Attacks
• On April 4, 2008, German authorities released information that two German nationals (one a convert to Islam and the other born in Lebanon) may have been planning a terrorist attack on a Kabul hotel as well as other targets in Afghanistan.
• On March 3, 2008, a German national of Turkish descent, Cuneyt Ciftci became the first German suicide bomber in Afghanistan targeting the US military in Khost, Afghanistan .
• In September of 2007, three German nationals known as the Sauerland group (two converts to Islam and one individual of Turkish origin) were arrested in Germany for planning a massive attack against US targets in Germany .
• In April 2007, a German magazine reported that threat alerts issued at that time also concerned potential attacks against US targets.
A great deal of commonality exists between these plots and attacks, but the overwhelming one is the linkage to the IJU.
The Sauerland Group
The Sauerland group is reportedly a local cell of the IJU. The members arrested in September 2007 are believed to have traveled to IJU training camps in Pakistan. The IJU later claimed responsibility for the plot. The two German nationals most recently suspected of plotting an attack in Afghanistan are also believed to have traveled to IJU camps and have ties to the Sauerland cell. Suicide bomber, Cuneyt Ciftci also had ties to one of the Sauerland cell members arrested, but managed to slip out of Germany before authorities could intercept him. The IJU took responsibility for his attack through various Internet sites hosting Jihadist propaganda (Previous Report) although it also appears to have Taliban involvement.
It is certainly feasible for the IJU to have organizational ties in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Members of the IJU predecessor organization, the IMU fled to Afghanistan and Pakistan after a crackdown on their activities in Uzbekistan in the 1990s. Originally, the IMU was dedicated to overthrowing the repressive regime of President Karimov and establishing an Islamic state in its place. They fought with the Taliban and what remained of their organization fled to Pakistan after coalition forces entered Afghanistan.
Regional Relationships
In Pakistan, in addition to establishing terrorist training camps, the IJU also developed relationships with other organizations and it is likely to be one of the reasons the organization began to adopt a more global outlook. Even in 2004, when the IJU launched their first major attacks in Uzbekistan, including the use of the first female suicide bombers in Central Asia, they had already began to focus on targets unrelated to grievances in Uzbekistan. In addition to a series of bombings mostly targeting police forces in March of 2004 , the IJU also attacked the US and Israeli embassies in July 2004 and made statements that they did so in support of their Afghan, Iraqi, and Palestinian brothers. It is certainly possible that the scope of the organization changed with the realization that their aspirations in Uzbekistan were not going to be realized in the immediate future, and the intermixing of different militant and terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan brought about a more global Jihadist outlook (Previous Report). It has also been reported that the IMU had financial ties to al Qaeda and it is also possible that the IJU may also have some sort of affiliate relationship with al Qaeda.
Outlook
Recruitment of Islamic converts and/or members of immigrant communities in Germany underscore the increasing incidence of domestic radicalization, something that the IJU appears to be spearheading. However, while the IJU is taking propaganda credit for these activities, it is difficult to determine whether they are a true terrorism threat or more of a global terrorism enabler. It is clear that they have moved beyond issues related to Uzbekistan and have adopted a larger worldview. The September 2007 arrests of Sauerland cell exposed fissures in German society, which an organization such as the IJU can exploit. The fact that more German nationals are now being exposed with ties to the IJU is an indication that the influence and reach of the IJU is growing.
