August 29,
2005
Asia-Pacific Financial Centers Could be Next al Qaeda Target
We know that over the next several months, our radical Islamist enemies would love nothing more than to hit a leading Western hub like (in no particular order) Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Berlin, Rome or Amsterdam with a devastating terrorist attack. But if they can't hit one or all of these cities--due in large part to heightened security and awareness in the wake of July's London bombings--the jihadis undoubtedly have a Plan B. And judging from some recent reports, it could be somewhat of a curveball. Last week, the Financial Times quoted Jean-Louis Bruguiere, France’s top terrorist investigator, as saying that an Asia-Pacific financial center such as Sydney, Tokyo or Singapore could soon be targeted by Al Qaeda as a way to undermine investor confidence.
“We have elements of information that make us think that countries in this region, especially Japan, could have been targeted” said Bruguiere, who also warned that South Korea may be at risk of an attack. “Any attack on a financial market like Japan would mechanically have an important economic impact on the confidence of investors. Other countries in this region, such as Singapore and Australia, are also potential targets." Another recent report from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) quoted a “senior” Al Qaeda member arrested last month as saying that South Korea, Japan and the Philippines are secondary targets (or, Plan B), while the United States, Britain and Australia--no surprise there--remain Al-Qaeda's prime targets for the immediate future. If jihad in Northeast Asia sounds strange to you, it shouldn't. Remember, Al-Qaeda and its ilk want to use terror and violence to extend Islam's reach throughout the world--and Northeast Asia is a decidedly un-Islamic region. Do the math. For more on this, go to: http://www.inthenationalinterest.com/Articles/Vol3Issue2/Vol3Issue2Vidino.html.
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