Sources revealed Involvement of the Belgian State in funding Libyan Militias responsible for Human Smuggling

Well informed sources “close to the secret services” revealed the involvement of the Belgian State in funding Libyan armed militias responsible for human smuggling.

According to Libyan website Al Marsad reporters of Belgian Television Channel RTBF conducted an investigation for weeks to inquire about this issue.

RTFB reporters obtained information from an anonymous source who claimed to have connections with the Intelligence Directorate, confirming Belgium's role in such issue.

The source added that certain aircraft inspected at Belgium's Ostend Airport were found to be carrying weapons prepared for smuggling.

After the murder of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi in 2011, Belgian banks frozen Libyan funds but years later has been discovered that the assets.

Profits of these funds were not frozen and between 3 and 5 million euros - BNP Paribas Fortis (€43 million – over R714 million), ING (€376 million), KBC (€869 million) and Euroclear Bank (€12.8 billion) - were withdrawn since 2012 funding networks of trafficking of arms and smuggling of human beings, especially girls from Nigeria that are brought to the country to work in prostitution.

Source has pointed fingers to current Foreign Minister Didier Reynders as "responsible for the Belgian government's decision to release the interests of the frozen funds, but we do not know to whom, how, and why."

Sources:

• Al Marsad
• Reuters
• The Independent 

Belgian Intelligence Will Have More Powers

The General Intelligence and Security Service (GISS), known in Dutch as Algemene Dienst Inlichting en Veiligheid (ADIV), the Belgian Military Intelligence service under responsibility of the Minister of National Defense, is going to have more powers abroad.

According Belgian Newspaper De Standaard "military spies are struggling with the problem that they are not allowed to do much outside the Country".

For example when troops find the cell phone of a suicide terrorist during an overseas mission the General Intelligence and Security Service (GISS/ADIV) is not allowed to search through it for information about a terror network, because of that comes under "special procedures".

A change in that will come soon.

De Stantaard reports that "the General Intelligence and Security Service (GISS/ADIV) will be allowed to perform the observation of residences or the opening of mailboxes, through the placement of cameras and locating terrorists, to hacking computers and smartphones, wiretapping of foreign communications that run through data cables as telephony, e-mails, Internet traffic and so on".

The General Intelligence and Security Service (GISS/ADIV) could be considered as the counterpart of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). 

Brazilian Police and Intelligence dismantled ISIL linked group

Brazilian Police, with the help of Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN), dismantled an ISIL linked  group arresting another suspect for allegedly preparing to carry out terrorist acts against Rio Olympics 2016, that will start the next month.

According Brazilian website Jornal do Brasil the suspect was blocked by military police on 24 July in Comodoro, 656 km from Cuiaba and detained in the western state of Mato Grosso that borders with Bolivia.

The detainee is accused of being members of an online group who called themselves 'Defenders of Sharia'.

The group  pledged their allegiance to ISIL and celebrated recent mass terror attacks that occurred in Nice, France, and Orlando, United States.

The arrest is a part of the police's Operation Hashtag, which rounded up an initial 10 suspects on 21 July.

Another suspect, named Valdir Pereira da Rocha, handed himself in on 22 July to authorities in Mato Grosso state, at Vila Bela da Santissima Trindade, 562 km from Cuiaba.

He was transferred to the federal prison at Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul, with the rest of the group 'Defenders of Sharia'.

Brazilian Police and Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) are part of the 'Centro Integrado Antiterrorismo (Ciant)', to counter terrorist threats against the Rio Olympics 2016.

The group is working with Intelligence Agencies from United States, France, Belgium, Britain, Argentina and Paraguay.

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".

Bruxelles: Belgian Intelligence Have Indications of a Possible Attack in Bruxelles during Ramadan

Belgian Intelligence have indications of a possible attack in Bruxelles during Ramadan. In the coming weeks, police officers and troops will maintain tightened supervision at sidewalk cafes, schools and hospitals.

At the request of the police, the leadership of the Belgian Armed Forces has briefed all soldiers who have been playing a part in ensuring security on the street since the attacks of 22 March to be extra vigilant when they are deployed in the capital.

There they have been ordered to maintain tightened supervision at all Bruxelles sidewalk cafes -- which are attracting more people because of the Football European Championship -- and around schools and hospitals, as, according to new information, these are potential targets for a new attack in the Bruxelles-Capital Region during Ramadan. The Islamic period of fasting started last week and will continue until 5 July, inclusive.

Threat Level

In spite of the indications, the level of threat is not being raised from 3 to 4 for the time being. The very highest level is only reached when there is the question of a particular time and a specific location for an attack. A result of this would also be that public life in Bruxelles came to a close, with a lockdown, as it did after the last attacks.

For the time being, there is no major panic among our Intelligence. For a number of strategic locations, such as particular embassies, the terror alert has even been lowered from 3 (serious threat) to 2+ (average threat). If the threat increases nonetheless then up to 1,500 troops may be deployed. At present, that number is constantly fluctuating.