World Largest Cement Producer LaFarge Accused of Funding Terrorism (Part 1)

The Lafarge group, the world's largest cement producer, stands accused by NGO Sherpa of funding terrorism, according report published on France Info website. The French corporation kept a cement works in operation in Syria, at the risk of endangering its employees and funding the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (ISIL).

The Lafarge site in Syria is a cement works with a production capacity of 7,000 tonnes a day, and which cost 600 million euros.

Nine of the cement works' employees were kidnapped.

Jacob Waerness, a former police officer from Norwegian intelligence recruited by Lafarge to ensure the site's security, established contact with the kidnappers.

He feared the employees would be executed.

The negotiations lasted three weeks. Lafarge decided to pay up to secure their release.

Over 200,000 euros in cash were handed over to militias who claimed to belong to the Free Syrian Army.

Jacob Waerness recounted how he handed the money over to the militias. "We drove across the desert to the meeting point. It was around midnight. I had a group of rebels to protect me. We paid the ransom for the employees and they made off with it."

Syria: Spanish Intelligence has resumed contacts with Bashar al-Assad

Spanish Intelligence ("diplomat") has resumed contacts with Bashar al-Assad in Syria, according Georges Malbrunot, well informed Middle East expert and blogger on French newspaper Le Figaro.

On November 28, Le Figaro wrote that "a Spanish diplomat has been located at a major hotel in Damascus" where he is in contact with security officials of Syrian Intelligence for an information exchange about "the numerous Moroccan jihadis passing trough Spain for going to fight in Syria".

Madrid has authorized a Syrian intelligence agent to work in the Spanish capital.

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".

Bosnian Intelligence Agency Investigates Real Estate Purchases by Arab Tourists

Bosnian Intelligence Agency investigates the real estate purchases at attractive locations, as in the countryside of Sarajevo, by Arab tourists who invested huge amount of money.

Bosnia Intellicence Agency (SIPA) launched investigations that have reached the total of 108 companies.

According Bosnian website Nezavisne Novine, SIPA have found a lot of bogus companies, owned by individuals who have never entered Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are not residents, but they authorized Bosnian citizens to buy real estate in Bosnia and Herzegovina for their companies“.

Nezavisne Novine reported that “51 legal entities linked with foreign citizen, with an initial capital of 2,000 marks” had bought real estate.

Bosnian website writes that “Arabs are buying land in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Kuwait citizen said that he visited some attractive locations in Sarajevo suburb of Hadzici, with already constructed objects, or under construction, specifically for the needs of visitors from his Country”.

"Bosnia Intellicence Agency (SIPA) launched investigations that have reached the total of 108 companies owned by foreigners"

Bosnia and Herzegovina Central Bank released data that show as around 86 million euros were invested in different projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the end of 2015. According to that data Kuwait is the 15th biggest investor in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnian Intelligence Agency (SIPA) carried out an operation to determine the legality of that projects as the land purchases in this country, to detect potential tax evasion and money laundering.

Bosnian Intelligence Agency (SIPA) discovered that there are 108 companies registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina owned by foreigners: 71 are owned by Kuwaitis, 13 by Lybians, 12 by nationals of the United Arab Emirates, 10 by Syrians, and two by Qatar nationals.

Bosnian Intelligence Searching for Three ISIL Fugitive

Map has been published on Daily Mail

Bosnian Intelligence and Police are hunting for three ISIL fugitive that took off into the woods near the village of Osve, close to Maglaj, according Bosnian website Zurnal.

Among the fugitives are former members of ISIL who recently returned from Syria.

Zurnal reported that the name of one who escaped is Muhamed Tutmic, a former member of ISIL, who had been previously arrested.

Muhamed Tutmic

Bosnian Intelligence and Police searched for him in the last seven days.

Bosnian Intelligence suspect that Muhamed Tutmic joined by Adem Karamuja and Jasmin Batanovic.
Adem Karamuja is also a returnee from Syria.

Bosnian Intelligence and Police raided the countryside of Osve suspecting that Muhamed Tutmic, Adem Karamuja and Jasmin Batanovic spent the first night with Latif Talic, another former member of ISIL.

Picture of Muhamed Tutmic as published on Bosnian website Zurnal.

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".