10.12.2017, Germany.
North Caucasus Islamists besides war in Chechnya took part in fighting in Syria and Iraq, and pose a terrorist threat, the head of German counterintelligence Hans-Georg Maaßen said on December 10, TASS reported.
According to Maaßen, the number of terrorists from the North Caucasus, who reside in Germany, is about 500 people. They keep themselves apart from the German society, but at the same time keep the network throughout the country. In total, according to the information available to the BfV (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution), there are 10,800 Salafists in Germany. To recruit their supporters they increasingly use the Internet.
Moscow repeatedly warned that citizens of European countries will come back to Europe from war zones, and bring with them all the dangers of radical Islam and that countering them becomes a priority for the security services.
Editorial Comment
It is interesting how German security services’ rhetoric about radicals from the North Caucasus has changed. Now Hans-Georg Maaßen doesn’t refer to them as “freedom fighters” opposing Russian totalitarian oppression, but as radical Islamists. Seemingly, when they committed terrorist acts in Russia they were not terrorists. We’ll see what other “insights” await the leaders of the European special services in future. For now, the counterintelligence is alarmed by Caucasian Islamists, rather than by those who left the well-being of Germany to go to Syria and Iraq to fight for ISIL (organization banned in Russia) against the “dictator” of Assad. Now, these European citizens return back home.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
