Bruxelles Bombers Mentor Oussama Atar Trying to Reach Europe from Syria Via Albania

Oussama Atar, the Bruxelles Bombers' Mentor is apparently trying to reach Europe from Syria via Albania.

At the age of 32, Oussama Atar is already a veteran of the Iraq-Syria zone. This Belgian national first went there in 2002, to do humanitarian work, he said.

After that his movements convinced the antiterrorist services that he was a jihadi, probably connected to the attacks in Bruxelles. For instance, 22 March, just a few hours after the attacks, his home in Anderlecht was one off the first to be searched by investigators. Unfortunately, the bird had flown.

According the French newspaper Le Parisien, a "vigilance message," distributed to French police during the past matter of hours, which we were able to consult, attests to Oussama Atar’s presence in Syria. The law and order forces have instructions to arrest him, while keeping in mind that he is a “dangerous and armed foreign combatant.”

"Atar encountered Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ISIL group's present leader"

This detail is far from unimportant in view of his background. At the age of 21, he was arrested in Ramadi (Iraq,) in February 2005.

At the time, close associates described him as just a charity worker. But US intelligence is convinced that he is a combatant. Oussama Atar spent 10 years in prison, partly at Camp Bucca, in Iraq, where he encountered Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ISIL group's present leader. That was where ISIL was born, the outcome of a rapprochement between Sunni and secular radicals, former members of Saddam Husayn’s intelligence services.

Following a major media support campaign orchestrated by his family, he eventually returned to Belgium in 2012. A year later he was arrested while about to join a group of jihadis in Tunisia. He returned to the country again, but subsequently disappeared off the radar. Until the attacks in Brussels.

This, because, Oussama Atar is a cousin of the brothers, Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui, no less. The former was one of the suicide bombers at Zaventem airport, while the latter blew himself up in the subway.

"According to Belgian intelligence, Atar was the Mentor of Bruxelles Suicide Bombers"

His younger brother, Yacine, was also arrested following the attacks. Traces of explosives were discovered on his face and clothing. Oussama Atar apparently also influenced Moustapha and Jawad Benhattal.

Since 18 June, this uncle and another cousin of the El-Bakraoui has been in prison. These known criminals were arrested during a major dragnet in connection with "an imminent threat of attack.

"Surveillance and the fact that their car was found close to a fan zone on the sidelines of the Ireland–Belgium match convinced the authorities that they were planning a terrorist attack".

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