Danish intel: European Muslims in Iraq
( 2003-11-05 13:39) (Agencies)
The head of Denmark's domestic intelligence agency said Tuesday that some European Muslims, angered by the U.S. occupation of Iraq, are heading there to join the anti-American resistance.
In recent days, European intelligence sources have said Iraq has become a magnet and proving ground for young Muslims from Europe, encouraged in part by the daily attacks on occupation troops from the United States, Britain and other countries.
"What we see now is that Iraq seems to attract people with terror activities, also from Europe," Lars Findsen, director of the Danish Security Intelligence Service, told reporters at the end of a two-day international terrorism conference organized by the agency.
Findsen declined to give specifics, exact numbers or say whether a recruitment network was in place.
He also would not detail the origin of the information. However, at the conference, Findsen said the Danish agency has intensified its cooperation with the European and U.S. intelligence community after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Earlier this week, anonymous sources told The Associated Press militants were leaving Europe individually or in small groups for Iraq. They appear to be young Muslims without military training or links to al-Qaida and have made a spontaneous decision to join the anti-American resistance.
A German security official said the numbers who have already left Europe for Iraq are "not inconsiderable."
In neighboring Jordan, counterterrorism officials told AP that foreign fighters are believed to be mainly Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Yemeni, Kuwaiti and Saudi.
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