Lebanon Charges 13 Suspected Al Qaeda Members in Terror Plot Posted: January 19, 2006

Lebanese authorities have charged 13 suspected Al Qaeda members with planning to launch terrorist attacks.

The suspects - seven Syrians, three Lebanese, one Saudi, one Jordanian with Lebanese nationality and one Palestinian - were charged on January 13, 2006 about two weeks after they were arrested in various parts of the country.  The men, who also face weapons and forgery charges, reportedly entered Lebanon illegally through the Syrian-Lebanese border and carried forged documents, including fake Lebanese passports.

According to Lebanese judicial sources, the suspects at various times claimed to be members of either Al Qaeda or Jund Al Sham, a radical Islamic organization which claimed responsibility for the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.  Lebanon’s military magistrate has not confirmed the group’s connection to Al Qaeda. 

Although there has not been a confirmed attack by Al Qaeda in Lebanon, some observers believe the organization has supporters among extremist factions hiding in the country’s Palestinian refugee camps.  Observers also suggest Al Qaeda has used sympathetic groups to recruit Lebanese and Palestinian refugees to fight in Iraq.

On January 9, Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for a rocket attack in northern Israel in an audio statement attributed to the group’s leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.  There is no confirmation that the voice heard in the recording is indeed Zarqawi’s, but the audio statement was posted on several Web sites used previously for similar claims of responsibility by Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Also in January, Lebanese security forces arrested four Palestinian members of an organization known for its support for Al Qaeda.  The group, Osbat al-Ansar, operates mainly from inside Al Hilweh refugee camp.  The four said they had planned to attack Israeli targets, according to a Lebanese authorities.  The group reportedly cooperates with Al Qaeda in Iraq.

In 2004, a Lebanese military prosecutor charged 35 alleged members of an Al Qaeda-linked group with plotting to bomb foreign targets in Lebanon, including the Italian and Ukrainian diplomatic missions.  The groups was also charged with plotting to assassinate Western diplomats and attack Lebanese security facilities.