Page 72 - Cyber Terrorism and Extremism as Threat to Critical Infrastructure Protection

SECTION I: EXTREMISM, RADICALIZATION AND CYBER THREATS AS AN IMPORTANT
SECURITY FACTORS FOR COUNTERING TERRORISM PROCESSES

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Algerian nationals . Acting as an organized terrorist group and in coordination with an al-
Qaeda terrorist network officer, they were accused of jointly attempting to carry out a terrorist
attack against the facilities and staff of the US Embassy in Sarajevo (Hecimovic, 2001). Since
the FBiH Supreme Court did not have sufficient evidence to conduct criminal proceedings
against them, they were handed over to the US Government which transferred them to Guan-
tánamo Bay in January 2002, where they were held as enemy combatants . On being released
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from prison, they were returned to BiH (Šikman, 2018).

The next incident occurred in 2002, in the village of Kostajnica near Konjic, when a member
of the Salafi community, motivated by ideological and religious fanaticism, committed a triple
homicide and attempted a fourth. Although he was charged with the offence of aggravated
murder, rather than the offence of terrorism, the more serious charge was applied because the
24
offence was committed for ideological and religious reasons . As a result, the defendant was
sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment by the Mostar County Court.
Subsequently, in 2005, two defendants arrived in Sarajevo from Sweden and Denmark, with
the intention of carrying out a terrorist act in BiH or another European country to force the
BiH authorities or the other country’s government to withdraw their forces from Iraq and
Afghanistan. Thereafter, they contacted a third defendant who had procured explosive sub-
stances (about 20 kilograms) which they used to prepare a so-called “suicide belt” (ready to be
25
activated). They videotaped all this and recorded an audio message announcing the attacks .
This suicide terrorist attack was prevented, and in 2007, the defendants were convicted of the
offence of terrorism before the Court of BiH (see more: Šikman, 2016, p 169). As noted in
the court judgment, the defendants were also in contact with radicalized individuals who had
criminal proceedings for terrorism pending against them in their home countries. The defen-
dants maintained contact with these individuals via the internet from BiH, and their intent to
commit a terrorist act was clear (Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina [Court of BiH], 2007, p
49). Their loyalty to radicalism is evidenced by the fact that the first defendant, after serving
his prison sentence, attempted to join the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, while the third de-
26
fendant succeeded and became a member of the Al-Nusra terrorist organization .

22 These people arrived in BiH in the period between 1992 and 1997 and they had BiH citizenship. One of them
was a member of the El Mujahid Detachment, while the rest came to BiH after finishing their job, as “Islamic
missionaries” (Hećimović, 2001).
23 The importance of this anti-terrorist action is demonstrated by the fact that the US President, in his speech to
sessions of Congress, praised the cooperation of the BiH authorities in the fight against terrorism and invited
other countries to follow this example (Azinovic, 2004, p 91).
24 In the documentary “Blood Delicts” shown on Federal Television, the defendant stated the following: “They
ruined our Bajram, I know how I felt at the time, so I decided to ruin their Christmas Eve”, on the basis of which
it was concluded that this crime was motivated by national and religious hatred, which adds substantial weight
to this crime (Federalna televizija, 2019).
25 According to the judgment of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the audio recording contained the following
message: “Allahu Ekber. This is where the brothers are preparing for the attacks. They show us things they are
going to use to attack. These brothers are ready to attack and, inshallah, they will attack Al-Qufar who kill our
Muslim brothers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Shishan, and other countries. These weapons will be used against Europe,
against those whose forces are in Iraq and Afghanistan. These two brothers have sold their lives to please Allah,
to help their brothers and sisters. They are Muslims. Their hours are approaching. They’re ready to attack, so
don’t think we have forgotten you. We are here and we plan and have everything ready. This is the message for
you” (Sud BiH, 2007, p 3).
26 He was one of the first BiH citizens to go to Syria and Iraq to join terrorist organizations. According to the
documentary “Terrorist” produced by the Centre for Investigative Reporting, he died fighting for this terrorist
organization, while according to the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, he was a commander of the “Jaysh Muhammad
Qa’atiba” military unit made up of Bosniaks from the Balkans (Centar za istraživačko novinarstvo, 2019).

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