Wahabbis arrested, "had picture taken", set free

SARAJEVO, BELGRADE A Bosnian security agency on Wednesday arrested five members of the Wahabbi movement in that country, it what some media said was "a pompously announced raid". However, the Bosnia-Herzegovina State Investigation and Protection of Agency (SIPA) set all suspects free, after holding them briefly for questioning. Wahabbis arrested, "had picture taken", set free This, Belgrade's Vecernje Novosti daily writes, was the result of the latest anti-terrorism action launched by Bosnia's security agencies. Four of the men who were arrested in the raid were identified as Effendi Bilal Bosnic from Buzim, near Bihac, Imam Rusmir Kadrispahic from Zavidovici, and Edin Zukic and Refik Talovic. Bosnic is the most well-known among the group, being the most popular Salafi preacher in Bosnia, and having posted numerous videos online where he spoke against the United States, other western countries, and other "infidels". The Bosnian prosecution said that those detained were suspected of public incitement to terrorist activities, and that evidence was seized during the raids that took place in four cantons of the Muslim-Croat Federation (FBiH) entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The newspaper spoke to a number of experts who seemed to concur that the release of those detained amounted to a "disgrace" for the Bosnian agencies. Dzevad Galijasevic, a member of the South-East Europe Expert Team for the Fight Against Terrorism, said that the men detained were "mere pawns of Wehabbi religious leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina": "The arrests in question probably came in response to recent events when Adnan Causevic, a witness for the Bosnian Prosecution in its case against Rijad Rustempasic, was attacked, especially since there has been evident security pressure against the Wahabbi movement throughout Europe." This expert also advised that "people like 'Emir of Bosnia' Muhamed Porca, who is constantly on the move between Austria and Bosnia" should be arrested, as well as "Emir of All Mujahedin" in Bosnia, Imad el Misri, ans yet another "emir" - Eiman Avad, who is in charge of "outside Mujahedin", and who was "directly involved in war crimes committed by the El Mujahid unit" during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia. "The question for the security people is why Nusret Imamovic, muderis (professor) of the King Fahd Mosque in Sarajevo Nezim Halilovic, and Safet Durguti from Travnik were not among those arrested. Those are the people who lead the Wahabbi movement in Bosnia-Herzegovina," Galijasevic asserted. On the other hand, the chairwoman of the Joint Commission for Defense and Security of the Assembly of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dusanka Majkic, told the daily that the recent raids were "encouraging", but that Bosnia was still far from "any real attempt" to deal with terrorism. "Analyses show that Bosnia-Herzegovina has become a Mecca for movements involved in terrorism. There have been no attempts at any time to ascertain who was active in some foreign embassies and religious objects in Bosnia, and who was funding those activities," she stated. Majkic also noted that "some political circles in Sarajevo" were unable and unwilling to face the problem - considering that terrorist movements were mostly tied to the issue of radical Islam, "which is increasingly finding its momentum and favorable place to develop in Bosnia-Herzegovina". A view of Sarajevo (file) Vecernje novosti

Wahabbis arrested, "had picture taken", set free

This, Belgrade's Večernje Novosti daily writes, was the result of the latest anti-terrorism action launched by Bosnia's security agencies.

Four of the men who were arrested in the raid were identified as Effendi Bilal Bosnić from Bužim, near Bihać, Imam Rusmir Kadrispahić from Zavidovići, and Edin Zukić and Refik Talović.

Bosnić is the most well-known among the group, being the most popular Salafi preacher in Bosnia, and having posted numerous videos online where he spoke against the United States, other western countries, and other "infidels".

The Bosnian prosecution said that those detained were suspected of public incitement to terrorist activities, and that evidence was seized during the raids that took place in four cantons of the Muslim-Croat Federation (FBiH) entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The newspaper spoke to a number of experts who seemed to concur that the release of those detained amounted to a "disgrace" for the Bosnian agencies.

Dževad Galijašević, a member of the South-East Europe Expert Team for the Fight Against Terrorism, said that the men detained were "mere pawns of Wehabbi religious leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina":

"The arrests in question probably came in response to recent events when Adnan Čaušević, a witness for the Bosnian Prosecution in its case against Rijad Rustempašić, was attacked, especially since there has been evident security pressure against the Wahabbi movement throughout Europe."

This expert also advised that "people like 'Emir of Bosnia' Muhamed Porča, who is constantly on the move between Austria and Bosnia" should be arrested, as well as "Emir of All Mujahedin" in Bosnia, Imad el Misri, ans yet another "emir" - Eiman Avad, who is in charge of "outside Mujahedin", and who was "directly involved in war crimes committed by the El Mujahid unit" during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia.

"The question for the security people is why Nusret Imamović, muderis (professor) of the King Fahd Mosque in Sarajevo Nezim Halilović, and Safet Durguti from Travnik were not among those arrested. Those are the people who lead the Wahabbi movement in Bosnia-Herzegovina," Galijašević asserted.

On the other hand, the chairwoman of the Joint Commission for Defense and Security of the Assembly of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dušanka Majkić, told the daily that the recent raids were "encouraging", but that Bosnia was still far from "any real attempt" to deal with terrorism.

"Analyses show that Bosnia-Herzegovina has become a Mecca for movements involved in terrorism. There have been no attempts at any time to ascertain who was active in some foreign embassies and religious objects in Bosnia, and who was funding those activities," she stated.

Majkić also noted that "some political circles in Sarajevo" were unable and unwilling to face the problem - considering that terrorist movements were mostly tied to the issue of radical Islam, "which is increasingly finding its momentum and favorable place to develop in Bosnia-Herzegovina".