Terror Bloggers Claim Paris Attack Plan

Forum Regularly Used By Al Qaeda Sees Wave Of Chatter Over Strike Against French Capital

(CBS)  This article was written by CBSNews.com's Tucker Reals in London.

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Recent postings on a Web forum commonly used by al Qaeda and its worldwide supporters threaten a terrorist attack on Paris, a European capital that has so far avoided the ire of radical Islamic fundamentalists.

CBS News, which monitors jihadist Internet forums and chat rooms on a regular basis, first noted several postings on the al-Ekhlhaas forum on Jan. 4, 2008 calling for militant action against France's capital and leaders.

Authorities in Paris contacted by CBS News would not comment on the specifics of the latest Web threats, but said they "constantly renew calls for vigilance by police out on beats."

One posting in particular, by a forum member using the name "Murabit Mowahed," was written as a plea for Muslims in France to take up arms against the country, and offered justification for doing so.

Mowahed's posting, titled, "Striking Against the French Capital, Goals and Benefits," names the country's relatively new president Nicolas Sarkozy, and his policies, as the motivation for attack.

He claims Sarkozy, formerly the French Interior Minister, is an "anti-Muslim," and alludes to the new leader's "ambitions" in North Africa as proof, and justification for militancy against France.

After offering that alone as a reason, the posting then goes on to provide practical information on Paris; how the local government functions, transportation hubs and geographical features. Mowahed even gives a piece of trivia: "Paris is known as the city of lights because, in 1828, it was the first city in Europe with lamp posts in the streets."

Mowahed then lists 25 of the city's most important tourist landmarks, or "legitimate targets," starting with the Eiffel Tower. He says with its cafe and museum-rich streets and its internationally-vital Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris makes a "symbolically important capital" to target.

Mowahed lists eight "benefits" of attacking Paris, including, "silencing Sarkozy and stopping his growing ambitions in the Islamic Maghreb (North Africa)."

The third benefit he gives is creating "a boiling situation in France" to destabilize the national government. Paris has witnessed widespread unrest in the recent past.

France is home to huge numbers of immigrants from North Africa, mainly Morocco and Algeria, thousands of whom live in impoverished apartment complexes in the Paris suburbs. It was the young men in these disenfranchised communities who drove weeks of violent rioting in 2005, and several less significant flare-ups last year. Most of the youths are Muslim, and its members of this community that Mowahed was likely seeking to incite.

Al-Ekhlass forum members responded in droves, with many reiterating calls for an attack. One member, with the username "Abu Amina," claimed to have plans already formulated.

"I will do it. Wait and you'll see," read Abu Amina's first response, posted about four hours after Mowahed's initial message.

Another four hours later Abu Amina wrote, "I apologize, Brothers of the Faith, for not unveiling my plans to you ... the brothers advised me not to elaborate on the plan in order to prevent it being thwarted if things were put in place for its execution."

Abu Amina later responds to questions from other members about the justification for an attack on Paris, that, unlike nearby European capitals London and Madrid, has avoided any serious terrorist attack since the U.S.-led war on terror began.

Asked why jihadists should launch a new battle front against the French, Abu Amina responds: "We opened no front against France, France joined the war on Muslims long ago."

He offers as evidence a clip from a French-language news article about France sending war planes to help the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, and a link to a video report on the same topic by France 24 television.

Asked about the threats, officials at Paris police headquarters would only tell CBS News they "constantly renew calls for vigilance by police out on beats" and at sensitive or well-known buildings and monuments. The city's color-coded terrorism alert warning system had not been upgraded as of Wednesday from its second-highest level (red), where it has been for some time.

The Paris Judicial Police Headquarters declined to comment on the postings.

A former senior anti-terrorism official at France's domestic intelligence agency (DST) told CBS News he had heard reports about the recent "chatter" online, and that al-Ekhlass is recognized as one of the forums used by al Qaeda adherents, but noted the name Murabit Mowahed meant nothing to him.

The former DST official, who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity, said he was unaware of any increase in the quantity of attack-related forum content, or of new credible threats against France specifically.

He added that current French anti-terrorism policy is "preemptive"; authorities seek to arrest identified suspects under a catch-all charge before they have acquired all the materials needed for an attack. If there is a real imminent threat, he said, "there will be rapid arrests."

France has publicized no terror-related arrests for weeks, and the most recent dealt with suspects allegedly trying to send materials from France to Algeria, not smuggle people or goods into Europe, according to the ex-DST official.

CBS News producer Bob Albertson in Paris contributed to this report.

[glaswolf]

libsluvsuvs: Actually, I would consider the Republicans more liberal than the Democrats, if you look at the deviant behavior for which so many have been busted for. Look at the organizations, talk about diversity ... look at the anti Indians or those attacking Indian Infantry allied workforces, talk about m&m''s ... WO!

[libsluvsuvs]

al Qaeda and its worldwide supporters threaten a terrorist attack on Paris,

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radical islamic terrorists and radical left winged liberals,an UNHOLY ALLIANCE..

the master and its bit ch..but why attack the liberal vatican aka france?? but i guess a liberal is always someone''s bit ch.

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by logicanada at 07:06 PM : Jan 10, 2008
+ report abuse

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you know clinton did that once...

[logicanada]

This is me ignoring libsluvsuv''s

[libsluvsuvs]

let me get the flow of things here...most liberals are democrats..most liberals SIDE with terrorists..and democrats wants the job at the white house...hummmmmmm

a win for the democrats might include a win for terrorism..

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by logicanada at 05:50 PM : Jan 10, 2008
+ report abuse
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isnt this ''non-event'' the meat and potatos of your liberal existance??

[logicanada]

This non-event will soon find it''s way into a Giuliani 911 speech.

[libsluvsuvs]

%u0627%u0646%u0646%u064A %u0627%u0634%u0627%u0647%u062F %u0644%u0643%u0645Prinzowhales.

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by Prinzowhales at 11:13 AM : Jan 10, 2008
+ report abuse


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osama could have had a ''photo essay''...and we all know what the money shot would had been..of course for you, that particular act WAS JUSTIFIED

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by Prinzowhales at 11:07 AM : Jan 10, 2008
+ report abuse


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better a fool than a terrorist..
a fool is harmless a terrorist is a sly calculating murderer..

[prinzowhales]

I wonder if CBS will turn this into a ''photo essay'' and leave it up--like the early September stoy of the ''plot'' to blow up US airbases in Germany--forever and ever to generate fear, fear and more fear.

[prinzowhales]

libsluvsuvs--You are considered a fool and proof of that is self-evident from your posts.

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by Prinzowhales at 02:35 PM : Jan 09, 2008
+ report abuse

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"Recent postings on a Web forum commonly used by al Qaeda and its worldwide supporters threaten a terrorist attack on Paris,..."


you and feelfree1 are considered a ''WORLDWIDE SUPPORTER''..

and dont think you can hide behind an ip address..you and feelfree1''s support is well documented and is on file.

[larryhammick]

Abu Amina says in his /second/ contribution to the thread, "I will do this." CBS, notice how he renders the word "Abu".
There have been 88 responses to the original posting at Ekhlaas.

[alanrobisch]

The enemy of America has left Washington for the time being but his henchmen and allies are still there! Vote them out! Vote them out! Vote them out! Jail to the Chief! Troops Home Now!


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Posted by Prinzowhales at 02:32 PM : Jan 09, 2008

Your posts are typical of the loony left who see conspiracies everywhere and if news coming from CBS who broke the story about bush and his time in the service are now in cahoots to prove that actual problems might exist and that 9/11 actually happenned and remember their were massive riots by french muslims because they were excluded from mainstream french society. this wouldn''t be a reason nah and any news that proves that there is real danger out there from muslims are just trying to bolster bush. Your crazy if you believe this. there is a real danger and methods are needed to prevent them from succeeding. YOur pet hatred for george bush blinds you to the real dangers in the world Maybe you should be like an ostrich in the sand and all the bad people in the world will simply disappear

[finewoven]

Must be a slow news day. Wow, love that picture of Paris!!

[gkc99]

A *** good reason that the US should take a real close look at Muslim immigration. I''d rather have 1000 Mexicans than 1 jihadi. Let the Muslims stay in "Muslim lands"!

[raskal_2]

CBS should be careful, circular verification of a story is not verification.

[tburzio]

"What is the difference between government and terrorism? "

Uniforms. The word read "Insure domestic tranquility". Interesting word, insure. Not "restore", but insure. This is not a passive word.

[prinzowhales]

FeelFree1--And, I forgot to mention, the fearsome Adam Pearlman, the ''American al Qaeda'' has stirred himself to action...a poster noted yesterday that he looks like Jared on the Subway commercials...maybe the FBI can get out an all points bulletin on ''the Subway Kid''...However, he hasn''t yet won his Wanker Wings by being declared "a Terrorist Mastermind" by British commentators...He''s still just the fat little grandson of an Anti-Defamation League board member playing dress up for his fellow Zionists at SITE and Intel Center.