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Coordinated European Raids Target Ring Supporting Terrorist Groups Coordinated European Raids Target Ring Supporting Terrorist Groups
(about 2 hours later)
ROME — The authorities arrested 15 people in four European countries on Thursday, breaking up what officials called a terrorist network that sought to overthrow the Kurdish government in northern Iraq and to recruit militants to fight in Iraq and Syria.ROME — The authorities arrested 15 people in four European countries on Thursday, breaking up what officials called a terrorist network that sought to overthrow the Kurdish government in northern Iraq and to recruit militants to fight in Iraq and Syria.
The arrests — seven in Italy, four in Britain, three in Norway and one in Finland — were the result, officials said, of a four-year investigation led by the Italian authorities into Rawti Shax, an organization headed by an Iraqi Kurdish cleric based in Norway.The arrests — seven in Italy, four in Britain, three in Norway and one in Finland — were the result, officials said, of a four-year investigation led by the Italian authorities into Rawti Shax, an organization headed by an Iraqi Kurdish cleric based in Norway.
The cleric, Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad, also known as Mullah Krekar, is in a Norwegian prison, serving an 18-month sentence for praising the militants who attacked the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January, killing 12 people, and for urging the killing of a Kurdish immigrant in Norway. The cleric, Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad, also known as Mullah Krekar, is in a Norwegian prison, serving a sentence for making violent threats. He is a notorious figure in Norway, having survived an assassination attempt; made a death threat against the prime minister, Erna Solberg; and praised the militants who attacked the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January, killing 12 people.
Mr. Ahmad is expected to face new criminal charges, a court official in Oslo said. All of the suspects are likely to face charges in Italy of conspiracy to commit international terrorism.
“The investigation developed out of computer evidence, as their operating base was mostly the web, the world of the Internet,” the public prosecutor in Rome, Giuseppe Pignatone, said at a news conference.“The investigation developed out of computer evidence, as their operating base was mostly the web, the world of the Internet,” the public prosecutor in Rome, Giuseppe Pignatone, said at a news conference.
According to Eurojust — the European Union’s judicial cooperation unit, which coordinated the operation — Rawti Shax (the name means “new course” or “toward the mountain”) grew from Ansar al-Islam, a terrorist network with ties to Al Qaeda. Unlike Ansar al-Islam, Rawti Shax began in Europe; its members spanned countries as diverse as Finland and Greece, but they were particularly active in Germany and Switzerland, officials said.According to Eurojust — the European Union’s judicial cooperation unit, which coordinated the operation — Rawti Shax (the name means “new course” or “toward the mountain”) grew from Ansar al-Islam, a terrorist network with ties to Al Qaeda. Unlike Ansar al-Islam, Rawti Shax began in Europe; its members spanned countries as diverse as Finland and Greece, but they were particularly active in Germany and Switzerland, officials said.
“As the group evolved, it became active in providing logistical and financial support to recruiting foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) to be sent to Syria and Iraq, also with the intent of training them for the future conflict in Kurdistan,” officials at Eurojust, which is based in The Hague, said in a statement.“As the group evolved, it became active in providing logistical and financial support to recruiting foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) to be sent to Syria and Iraq, also with the intent of training them for the future conflict in Kurdistan,” officials at Eurojust, which is based in The Hague, said in a statement.
The rise of the Islamic State invigorated Rawti Shax, which began to recruit members to fight for the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, a Qaeda affiliate that operates in Syria and Lebanon. “They were using the web to launch public messages for a project of Islamist radicalization,” said Giuseppe Governale, a general of the Carabinieri.The rise of the Islamic State invigorated Rawti Shax, which began to recruit members to fight for the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, a Qaeda affiliate that operates in Syria and Lebanon. “They were using the web to launch public messages for a project of Islamist radicalization,” said Giuseppe Governale, a general of the Carabinieri.
One of the men arrested on Thursday, Abdul Rahman Nauroz, led that recruitment drive, working on the web and from his apartment in the northern Italian city of Merano, according to the Carabinieri. At least five men Mr. Nauroz trained went on to fight in Syria or Iraq, the police agency said.One of the men arrested on Thursday, Abdul Rahman Nauroz, led that recruitment drive, working on the web and from his apartment in the northern Italian city of Merano, according to the Carabinieri. At least five men Mr. Nauroz trained went on to fight in Syria or Iraq, the police agency said.
The group paid 780 euros, or almost $840, to fly one member, a Kosovar named Eldin Hodza, to Istanbul, from which he entered Syria, Italian officials said. Mr. Hodza, who was also arrested on Thursday, fought for the Islamic State for a month and a half and then returned to Europe, for reasons that are unclear, they said.The group paid 780 euros, or almost $840, to fly one member, a Kosovar named Eldin Hodza, to Istanbul, from which he entered Syria, Italian officials said. Mr. Hodza, who was also arrested on Thursday, fought for the Islamic State for a month and a half and then returned to Europe, for reasons that are unclear, they said.
The group also plotted to kidnap Norwegian diplomats as part of a plan to demand the release of Mr. Ahmad, their leader.The group also plotted to kidnap Norwegian diplomats as part of a plan to demand the release of Mr. Ahmad, their leader.
Mr. Ahmad, who came to Norway as a refugee in 1991, was well known to the authorities long before he praised the Charlie Hebdo killers. He had previously been convicted at least twice for making death threats, and recently he served three years in prison, according to Norwegian officials. Officials in Norway appeared eager to be rid of Mr. Ahmad, who came to Norway as a refugee in 1991 and has been in trouble with the law numerous times over the years. “I have no second thoughts about extraditing a person who is not a citizen of Norway to Italy,” said Norway’s justice minister, Anders Anundsen.
Mr. Ahmad and the two other men arrested in Norway might be extradited to Italy to face trial on the new charges, the Norwegian Police Security Service said. At a news conference, Mr. Anundsen called Mr. Ahmad “a threat to national security.” He said the government had tried to extradite him to Iraq — where the cleric faces other criminal charges — but did not succeed because Iraq could not ensure that he would not receive the death penalty.
“This is an Italian investigation, and the request for extradition is evidence of a functioning international cooperation,” Mr. Anundsen said. “I am relieved to see that the international war on terror is working, and yielding results.”
The two other men arrested in Norway were Karim Rahim Twana, a Norwegian citizen and an associate of Mr. Ahmad’s who lives in the city of Fredrikstad, and Kamil Jalal Fatah, an Iraqi citizen who lives in Drammen. Mr. Twana may have to be tried in Norway because he is a citizen, said Signe Kathrine Aalling, a prosecutor with the Norwegian Police Security Service.
The operation on Thursday also included searches of 26 properties in Britain, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway and Switzerland, officials said, from which items including electronic devices and documents were seized.The operation on Thursday also included searches of 26 properties in Britain, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway and Switzerland, officials said, from which items including electronic devices and documents were seized.