Page 73 - Cyber Terrorism and Extremism as Threat to Critical Infrastructure Protection

MILE ŠIKMAN: RADICALIZATION AS A CAUSE OF TERRORISM – THE CASE OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Then in 2009, three individuals were accused of plotting terrorist attacks in BiH. As members
of the Salafi community, they formed a terrorist group and underwent training in handling and
using firearms and explosives; they possessed and prepared components for the production of
explosive devices; they owned videotapes showing the magnitude of terrorist attacks around the
world; and undertook other actions aimed at committing a terrorist act in BiH between 2007 and
2009. It should be emphasized that while carrying out these activities they acted from the stand-
point of ethnic and religious extremism and radicalism, advocating that a Sharia state should be
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established in BiH . In 2011, the same individuals were convicted of the criminal offence of
terrorism at the Court of BiH (Sud BiH, 2011). Additionally, they recruited other people to “fight
against the dissenters”, propagating that “unbelievers should be killed”, while at the meetings,
they explained what jihad meant and what their goals were. During searches, the defendants
were found in possession of video recordings of combat operations at different locations, files
containing propaganda material promoting and justifying the mujahideen’s fighting, and promo-
tional video recordings of al-Qaeda’s actions (Sud BiH, 2011, p 23).

In 2010, a terrorist attack was carried out near the Bugujno police station. The defendants
planted and activated an improvised explosive device close to the Bugojno Police Station
building in the early morning hours, which killed a police officer, injured several others, and
inflicted damage on the facilities. This case is closely related to a planned terrorist attack,
since the defendant participated in meetings discussing Sharia and jihad and the establishment
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of a Sharia state in BiH (Sud BiH, 2013, p 103). It should be emphasized that in this case the
Court found particularly aggravating circumstances on the part of the defendant, which can
be regarded as the consequences of his radicalization. Thus, he demonstrated his long-term
determination to commit such a serious crime, with the aim of causing graver consequences
(by choosing to carry out the attack when a larger number of police officers were present at the
police station). Furthermore, the Court found the defendant’s behaviour after the offence had
been committed (e.g. a threat that the next time there would 9 tons of explosives rather than
15 kilos) and his behaviour toward the injured parties to be further aggravating circumstances,
on the basis of which the Court additionally concluded that the defendant was unscrupulous
and cruel, who showed no remorse for this tragic act during the course of a three-year trial,
and who failed to offer his condolences to the injured parties for the grave and tragic conse-
quences of his act (Sud BiH, 2013, pp 126-127).

In 2011, a terrorist attack was carried out in front of the US Embassy building in Sarajevo by
a defendant who was moving in the immediate vicinity of the Embassy building and firing at
it with an automatic rifle, subsequently injuring a police officer and inflicting material damage
to the Embassy building (see more: Šikman, 2016, p 169). The aim of this terrorist attack was
to extort a concession by demanding that NATO forces leave Afghanistan. The defendants
were members of the Salafi community in BiH and it was this terrorist act that expressed
their dissatisfaction and an attempt to forcibly achieve their goals. They continued to express

27 The witness in the criminal proceedings against the defendants explained that the purpose of these actions would
be “to unite jamaats, to make everything as Allah commands” and “the Mujahideen to fight in the way of Allah”;
the aim was “to establish the law of Allah in BiH, that is, the fight to the death until the Sharia State is estab-
lished” (Sud BiH, 2011, p 60).
28 This is supported by the statements of witnesses (who practised faith in the same way as the defendant): “That he
no longer has to wait, his time is passing and that he is old, that if he waits any longer, he will not be able to do
anything for Islam, that something will happen in Bugojno, a punishment from Allah, that this people is pagan
and he had repeated that he was going to blow up the police station” (Sud BiH, 2013, p 82).

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