Spanish branch of the Islamic State

The Spanish Enclave of Seuta in northern Africa has become a fertile place for those who recover jihadists

In Spain, consideration of the high -profile case of 11 members of the group, which was recruiting young Muslims to participate in hostilities in Syria and Iraq, continues. The prosecutor's office requires them from 10 to 12 years in prison.

The case of the recruitment of Mujahideen is considered by Spanish justice for the first time. But this time we are talking about a special case: if earlier the recruiters and the youth sent to hot spots were usually immigrants, immigrants from Muslim countries, now almost all of them are citizens of Spain. Recruiters acted in the Spanish enclave in North Africa- the city of Seuta , more precisely, in its quarters-El-Prinsip and El Sardineero, inhabited mainly by Muslims. Two groups were led by the Karim Abdesssalam Mohammed and Ismail Abladif Allal. The latter lived in Belgium, but visited Seutu constantly.

Jihadists operate throughout Spain. This is widely known. Our country has turned into a zone of secret recruitment of terrorists

The recruited Muslims were transported to the Spanish Malaga, from there by plane to Turkey. Then they crossed the Syrian border and poured into the "Katiba" or the Ibn Ziada brigade. This compound, bearing the name of the Muslim conqueror of Spain in the VIII century and consisting mainly of Moroccans, is commanded by the field commander Ablamesiz El-Maladali, a war veteran in Afghanistan and Iraq. The situation around the recruitment of Mujahideen is commented by Serafin Hiraldo , a representative of the Federal Union of the Police of Spain :

- Jihadists operate throughout Spain. This is widely known. In recent decades, we have arrested many extremists. Currently, our country has turned into a zone of secret recruitment of terrorists. And Seuta is not an exception. Recently, for example, in the province of Avil, to the west of Madrid, a group was disclosed, which sent 9 jihadists to Syria and Iraq. By the way, it is quite difficult to prove such a crime as the recruitment of terrorists, the police.

The Spanish Enclave of Seuta in northern Africa has become a fertile place for those who recover jihadists

Meanwhile, the investigation in the case of Muslims recruited in the Set found that at least 8 of them became suicide bombers. So, on June 1, 2012, a former taxi driver named Rashid, 33 years old, crashed into a truck loaded with explosives into the barracks building in the city of Idlib in the north-west of Syria. 130 people died. The 16-year-old Nordin Abderrait also became a shahid. How did these people get into the ranks of jihadists? Some under the influence of friends, acquaintances or preachers-radicals. But most often now recruitment is taking place using the Internet. Says a political scientist Arabist Daniel River :

- Social networks on the Internet are widely used to recruit jihadists. Recruitment is also carried out in various Islamic centers, mosques, at some events involving a large number of Muslims. But its main tool is still the Internet - various kinds of extremist forums. Here the main emphasis is on ideology - calls sound to act in the name of Islam. The armed struggle in countries where conflicts exist is presented as a good deed in the name of faith, which is allegedly subjected to aggression by the West. The number of Muslims who have headed from Spain to hot spots in recent years is especially worried. Even cases are known when Muslim women tried to go there.

The native of Seuta Abelvahid Sadik, who won in Syria and Iraq for several years, managed to return to Spain, where he was arrested for international terrorism. Among the acts of the kindergarten-participation in the attack on the Abu-Graib prison, near Baghdad, in the summer of 2013, in order to arrange the escape of the prisoners there. Spanish experts on terrorism consider people like a kindergarten, most dangerous for their country. There is a fear that, having received military training and combat experience, they can begin to arrange terrorist attacks in Spain. Says Luis de la Corte , head of the Strategic Research and Intelligence program of the Madrid Autonomous University :

The radicals living in Europe go to hot spots, gain experience there, and then return able to strike a tangible blow

-Whenever any international conflict arises with the participation of jihadists, the danger of terrorist attacks in the West increases. The point is that the radicals living in Europe go to hot spots, gain experience there, and then return able to strike a tangible blow. Spain is closer than other European countries, to the Arab world and has historical connections with it, so the danger of terrorist attacks here is great and is constantly present.

Of particular interest to international terrorists in Spain is not an exaggeration. They constantly declare this interest. The statements on this leader of Al-Qaeda Aiman Az-Zavakhiri and the figures of less famous are known. All of them proceed from the fact that Spain was won at the beginning of the VIII century by the Arabs, who were here until its expulsion at the end of the 15th century. And if so, it means, in accordance with the logic of the radicals, this country should return, as they are expressed, in the "bosom of Islam". Here is a sample on the Internet in the Spanish language of one of the jihadists. The record was made in Syria. The author of the appeal, of course, does not indicate his name:

- In the name of Allah, the gracious, merciful! Thanks to Allah, we are on the Holy Land of the Islamic state . I appeal to everyone and warn: we live under the banner of Islam and according to the laws of Islam. We are ready to die for them and will fight to the complete liberation of all the lands captured from us: from Jakarta to Andalusia - if Allah wishes! I tell you: Spain is the land of our grandfathers. And we will free her if Allah will please.

Attempts to strike Spain have not stopped the last decade. In March 2004, a group of radicals, mainly immigrants from North Africa, organized explosions in four Madrid suburban trains. About 200 people were killed, another one and a half thousand were injured of varying severity. Then several terrorist attacks were disclosed at the preparation stage. In the same Madrid, some terrorists intended to blow up the building of the National Judicial Chamber, as well as the Santiago Bernabeu Madrid stadium. In Barcelona, one of the groups, consisting mainly of Pakistanis, planned explosions in the subway and at other facilities. This list could be continued. Spain’s authorities are concerned about the number of radicals from among both indigenous inhabitants and immigrants professing Islam. Says a journalist, a former police officer, Rodrigo Gavilan :

Extremist views may share from 10 to 15 percent of Muslims living in Spain

- I want to pay attention to the research of the Royal Institute of Elkano, the authoritative center of sociological research of Spain, which focuses on jihadist danger. He notes that in recent years, hundreds of young people have been recruited into the ranks of Islamic radicals in Spanish territory. There are numbers: extremist views may share from 10 to 15 percent of Muslims living in Spain. This is also confirmed by the research data that the US State Department cites.

Meanwhile, the representative of the Central Government in the Sett Francisco Antonio Gonzalez does not consider the situation around the Muslim diaspora so critical. According to him, only units are poured into the ranks of jihadists-whether it is a Seuta or any other Spanish city, while the vast majority of Muslims profess moderate views, do not accept religious extremism and are law-abiding residents of Spain. Laargi Mateis , the leader of the Muslim diaspora in the Set, which is about half of the enclave population, agrees with him:

- There is no hearth of jihadism, extremist thinking, radical fundamentalism, as it is called it. And I say all this is not to convince someone, but because it is true.

Laarbi Mateis, following the representative of the government, claims that jihadists for the diaspora are “strangers”, “exclusion from the rules”, that they act in a deep underground, and in any seuta mosque, radical ideas are propaganda.