French Intelligence Tasked to Detect Radicalized Persons into the Army

French Intelligence has been tasked with detecting radicalized persons within the Army ranks after a dozen former French soldiers have taken up arms against the coalition in the Iraq–Syria zone. The General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) and the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) takes over in the event of a terrorist threat.

Aujourd'hui en France

L'Opinion

"All the profiles of our candidates are now scanned, including those wanting to join the reserves," one senior military source said.

According several French newspapers as Aujourd'hui en France, L'Opinion and Le Point their weapons skills and knowledge of command structures, and above all the fact that ISIL is trying to hit the West by sending recruits to their countries of origin, raises obviously security questions.

A great role for ISIL recruiting has been covered by online propaganda.

"The General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) and the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) Monitor radicalized persons into the Army"

Le Point

In January 2015 the daily L'Opinion cited the case of a soldier who served for five years in the 1st RPIMa, the elite paratroop regiment. After leaving the Army to join a company protecting oil sites, he joined the jihadist ranks.

Le Point cites the instructive story of a volunteer serving with the 1st Paratroop Infantry Regiment, shown in a video published on the Internet in April 2014 and entitled "A Day with the French Mojahedin".

Macedonian Intelligence Aims to Portray Albanians as ISIL Fighters

According Macedonian newspaper Zhurnal "Macedonian Intelligence elements, supported from Russian and Serb, aim to portray Macedonian and Kosovar Albanians the attributes of ISIL fighters, denigrating and degrading political credibility of Macedonian and Kosovar Albanians".

Zhurnal reported that "this disinformation comes from Macedonian and Russian Intelligence Agencies with the target to smear Albanians as being affiliated with ISIL".

In this context President Ivanov stated that "Macedonia had been facing a danger of potential terrorist attacks that could likely be conducted by recruitees and those who had returned from Syria and Iraq. In our country, there are as many as 86 people who have returned from the wars of Syria and Iraq".

Albanian Defense Minister Luan Hajdaraga said that "a lot of Balkan Intelligence, media and think tanks spread rumors or information that has still not been confirmed. This type of information needs to be verified first".

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".