[Mb-civic] CBC News - AFRICA RIPE FOR TERROR RECRUITS: CSIS

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AFRICA RIPE FOR TERROR RECRUITS: CSIS
WebPosted Sun May  8 21:10:47 2005

ottawa---Osama bin Laden's terrorist network could cultivate new recruits
in "the permissive environment" of African countries, according to a
Canadian intelligence report.

Conflict and poverty in central and southern parts of the continent have
made some Muslim Africans receptive to the idea of global jihad, the
Canadian Security and Intelligence Service said in a newly released
document that had been marked "Secret/Canadian Eyes Only."

The Canadian Press said it obtained a heavily censored version of the
August 2004 document, entitled The Islamist Threat in Sub-Saharan Africa,
under the Access to Information Act.

Canada announced a new foreign policy blueprint last month that calls for
concentrating foreign aid in Africa.

CP said the report mentions Sudan, a sanctuary for bin Laden in the early
1990s, as well as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania as possible
breeding grounds for violent extremism.

"The poor, young, disaffected and undereducated members of these
communities have provided terrorist organizations with intelligence and
logistical support for their activities," the report said.

West Africa "contains large ungoverned areas" along the southern edge of
the Sahara Desert, the report said.

Political instability has left people in that region susceptible to the
"proselytizing of extremist Islamic clergy" who want strict enforcement
of Muslim law.

The report said al-Qaeda's terrorist attacks against Western targets are
"seen as relatively minor when compared to the depredations perpetrated
by domestic terrorist groups operating in sub-Saharan Africa."

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