New network inspired by Al Qaida used Internet to recruit West Bank operatives
RAMALLAH — Israel and the Palestinian Authority have uncovered an Al
Qaida-aligned network in the West Bank.
The network was said to have received funding from abroad. Officials
said operatives had been recruited mostly over the Internet but held
meetings in some West Bank mosques.
Officials said the network inspired by Al Qaida has been operating in
several cities in the West Bank. They said about a dozen Islamic operatives
were arrested, particularly in the northern West Bank town of Kabatya.
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"They were in contact with Al Qaida, but there has been no evidence that
they were funded by Al Qaida," an official said.
This marked the first Al Qaida-inspired operational network in the West
Bank. Officials said unlike previous groups, the latest network was planning
to attack both Israeli and PA targets in the region.
"We did not find any weapons caches although we know they were planning
to acquire weapons," the official said.
Officials said the West Bank network did not appear to be linked to Al
Qaida-aligned groups in the Gaza Strip. Over the last year, the Gaza groups
have been waging a sabotage campaign against the Hamas regime.
A PA security official acknowledged the arrests but denied Israeli
participation in the raid of the network's strongholds. PA Preventive
Security Apparatus spokesman Ibrahim Ramadan said a statement would be
issued on the arrests.
