Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Concerns of al-Qaida Balkan Link Renewed / Guardian, 29 Aug 2005

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5240188,00.html
Jovana Gec
"The arrest in Serbia of a top terrorist fugitive has raised fresh concerns of an al-Qaida presence in the volatile Balkans, where thousands of U.S. and other international troops are stationed as peacekeepers. Abdelmajid Bouchar, a 22-year-old Moroccan, sought for involvement in last year's train bombings in the Spanish capital Madrid, that killed nearly 200 people, was caught at the Belgrade railway station in June. The arrest, revealed earlier this month, revived concerns that the Balkans - with its porous borders, unsophisticated security systems, rampant corruption and organized crime - could serve as a haven for al-Qaida-linked terrorist groups. "