al Shabaab moves Jihad into Bihororo Burundi

Bujumbura, Feb 8 : Burundian police have arrested eight Pakistani Muslim preachers in a mosque in the central province of Gitega, according to police and local officials.

A group of eight people calling themselves Pakistani Muslim preachers arrived two days ago and started holding unauthorised meetings, day and night, in the Bihororo mosque," the Daily Times quoted local official Alexis Manirakiza, as saying.

"Residents became suspicious at the presence of these foreigners in a remote area at a time when there is a terror threat from Somali rebels and they informed the police," he added.

A police officer said on the condition of anonymity that all the eight were travelling to the African nation on Pakistani passports."

We're investigating to find out exactly who they are and what they were doing in this part of the world without informing the security services or the administrative authorities," the officer said.

The arrests came less than a week after the US Embassy in Burundi warned its citizens in the central African country that terror organisations, including Somalia's al Qaeda-inspired Shebab, could carry out terror attacks in February.

Security measures have been stepped up in Burundi since last week, with soldiers and police patrolling the streets of the capital.

The Rest @ ANI , via Jihadwatch

Charles Taylor Connections Re-Sanctioned: Liberian Al Qaeda Connection Still Active?

The Office of Foreign Asset Control has lifted sanction sanctions against Liberia that had been imposed since the days of Charles Taylor. However, on 23 May, 2007 the reimplemented targeted sanctions against those connected to the former regime of Charles Taylor.

This is an interesting note, and suggests that the US is still concerned that there are some active terrorist connections still active in Liberia. Douglas Farah wrote extensively about Charles Taylor's al Qaeda diamond & money laundering connections.

Any thoughts about al Qaeda's current activities in Liberia?

Shimron Issachar

Africa, One of the Most Important Battle Grounds for Islamic Terrorism

The recent attack in Algeria by Al Qaeda’s Committee in the Islamic Maghreb in Algeria, coupled with the re-emergence and spread of the Islamist presence in Somalia, clearly show two things:

1) That the macro strategy of the core al Qaeda of fomenting the creation of small, autonomous groups to carry out jihad is firmly taking root and

2) That Africa, from the Northern tier to the Horn, with a network to Southern Africa and tactical alliances in West Africa, have made that continent one of the most important battle grounds in the long war on Islamist terrorism.

The rest from Doug Farah