Israel Official: Al-Qaida Working Globe

Mon Dec 9, 2:22 PM ET

By LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press Writer

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Al-Qaida operates everywhere in the world, often in cooperation with local radical groups, and will keep attacking even if Osama bin Laden is killed, a senior Israeli security official said Monday.

Europe is a likely target for a future al-Qaida attack, because it is easy for terrorists to move among countries in the region, the official said in a briefing on how Israel believes the terror network operates. He spoke on condition of anonymity.

Even once the United States completes its anti-terror campaign in Afghanistan, the war against al-Qaida will not be over, the Israeli official said.

Radical Islamic groups around the world were encouraged by the Sept. 11 attacks and hope — with al-Qaida support — to carry out more deadly attacks even if the United States tracks down bin Laden.

"It's very important to kill this guy (bin Laden)," but he doesn't necessarily influence the entire organization at all times, the official said. "There are people who want to double the Sept. 11 attacks. The spirit of bin Laden will always remain."

The United States has been unable to find bin Laden during its campaign in Afghanistan. Officials in Afghanistan say he is probably hiding in the mountains in neighboring Pakistan.

Terror groups operating locally around the world have linked up with al-Qaida to form a huge network, the official said. "Every place you are touching right now, there is al-Qaida," he said.

An Israeli expert on Islamic extremism, Uri Kupferschmidt, agreed that radical organizations have identified with al-Qaida and sought out the group, offering to help carry out attacks in their regions.

Al-Qaida operates in different areas of the world, with a leader for each region, a chairman below him, a decision-making body and several regional councils, the security official said.

One of these regional councils, or manteqa, in southeast Asia was responsible for the attack on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed almost 200 people, the official said. Manteqa means region in Arabic.

Kupferschmidt said he did not know how accurate the description of the al-Qaida structure was, saying no one has successfully infiltrated the network.

Another Israeli expert, Boaz Ganor of the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, told Army Radio that al-Qaida presents a grave threat to civilization. "They are ready to carry out suicide attacks, and I would say they have little problem, from the conceptual point of view, in using non-conventional materials," he said.

Israeli intelligence is particularly concerned about the possibility of attacks in Europe since only one passport is needed to move between so many countries, the security official said.

Thailand and the Philippines are also prime targets, he said.

Israel has increased security at possible targets abroad following twin attacks on Israelis in Kenya on Nov. 28, which Israel believes were carried out by al-Ittihad al-Islami, a Somali-based terror groups with links to al-Qaida. However, investigators in Kenya are playing down that possibility.

Ten Kenyans and three Israelis were killed in a suicide bombing in Mombasa and two missiles narrowly missed a Tel Aviv-bound plane that had just taken off from Mombasa with 271 people on board.

The official said Israel does not have firm proof of al-Ittihad's involvement.

The group, which runs schools and provides social services, has been named a terrorist organization by Washington. It is suspected of harboring al-Qaida fugitives. U.S. officials have also blamed al-Ittihad for the Kenya attacks, saying the attackers were working with al-Qaida operatives.

The security official said Israel has "no hard evidence" that al-Qaida is operating in the Gaza Strip, but believes that it is trying to set up cells, encouraged by the strong anti-Israeli resentment in crowded refugee camps.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said last week that al-Qaida has established a presence in the Gaza Strip, and is cooperating with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Lebanon denies this.

Israel has sought since the Sept. 11 attacks to link its conflict with the Palestinians to the U.S.-led fight against bin Laden's terror network. The Palestinians have made every effort to dissociate themselves from al-Qaida.

Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip have said they will attack Israelis only in the region and not abroad.

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