Brussels: Belgian al-Qaeda branch planned to blow up metro, stadiums

Brussels: Belgian al-Qaeda branch planned to blow up metro, stadiums

This story made the news several times this past year.  Already at the time of their arrest last December, Belgian news fingered them as an al-Qaeda cell who planned to commit an attack against the Brussels metro.  The case is now going through the courts.

See also CNN's report on Bryant Neal Vinas' testimony.


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The big group of Muslim fundamentalists who were arrested last December in Brussels, were actually a Belgian branch of the international terror-network al-Qaeda, according to an American crown witness who trained with the Belgian suspects in Afghanistan, report De Tijd and Het Laatste Nieuws.

The American confirms that the Belgians went through intensive combat training in Afghanistan and had contacts with top heads of al-Qaeda.  The new crown witness is a 26 year old Muslim from New York, Bryant Neal Vinas, AKA "Bashir el Ameriki".  HE was arrested last November in Peshawar by the Pakistani security services and handed over to the Americans.

Vinas made detailed confessions to the FBI, also regarding attacks on American soldiers in Afghanistan and a planned terror attack on train traffic in New York.

The federal prosecution service confirmed to De Tijd that Vinas also made confessions regarding the case against the dozen plus members of the terrorist cell connected to the internationally notorious Muslim activist Malika El Aroud.  The examining magistrate, a federal magistrate and detectives of the Brussels Federal Judicial Police then went to the US.

The American trucker, who met the Belgians in a training camp says: They were trained in carrying out kidnappings and executions.  they wanted to attack the Brussels metro, as well as small and poorly-guarded targets, such as the European stadiums."

The Brussels court extended the arrest of four members of the cell: Malika El Aroud, the suspect suicide terrorist Hicham Beyayo, Abdulaziz Bastin and Youssef Arrisi.  The court put off a decision on the fifth suspect, Ali El Gannouti, until August 5th.

Source: HLN 1, 2, 3 (Dutch)


For more on the Belgian al-Qaeda cell and Malika el-Aroud see:
* Belgium: "Mother of al-Qaeda in Europe" saved by Belgian secret service
* Antwerp: The Jihadis of Antwerp North (1)
* Antwerp: The Jihadis of Antwerp North (2)
* Belgium: Al-Qaeda cell apprehended
* Switzerland: Islamist website owners found guilty
* France/Italy: Al-Qaeda cell investigation
* Belgium: Report on Belgian al-Qaeda
* Italy: Police charges suspected terrorists with planning France/UK attacks
* Belgium: Belgian cell discovers Islamic resistance is expensive
* Brussels: Terror attack planned
* Belgium: A female holy warrior for Al Qaeda

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