Suicide Terrorism - Articles

Casablanca: Al Qaeda’s Maritime Node

From Morocco to Pakistan, a string of incidents (attack in the Saudi capital Riyadh that killed 34 people and in Karachi on Shell oil company gas stations) demonstrated that Western targets remain vulnerable to terrorist attacks. These incidents have exhibited the ability of terrorists like the Al Qaeda network and its sympathizers to challenge the US led war against terrorism.

The Moroccan Interior Minister, Mostapha Sahel, has noted that five ‘groups of kamikazes’ (14 attackers in all) carried out the attacks in Casablanca and one of the attackers has survived. While the investigations continue and security agencies examine the possibility of the attackers’ links to an acknowledged Moroccan extremist group Salafia Jihadia, suspected of having ties with the Al Qaeda terror network, and Attakfir wal Hijra, an indigenous Islamic group, the attacks are reminiscent of the October 2002 car bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali. The Casablanca bombings have highlighted two issues: First, it has brought to the fore Morocco as an important node in the terrorist network. Second, the kamikaze tactics are similar to those of the Japanese during the Second World War, and more recently to the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

During Operation Enduring Freedom, the US led coalition forces captured several Taliban fighters in Afghanistan including 17 Moroccans. During their interrogation at Guantanamo Bay, it was revealed that a Saudi recruiter working for Osama bin Laden was located in Morocco, and had established a three-man Al Qaeda cell of Saudi nationals. Besides, the Moroccan wives of two of the men were also involved. The cell had plans to launch suicide bomb attacks on American warships transiting through the Gibraltar Strait and on the British naval repair and logistics facility at Gibraltar, some 19 kilometres off the northern city of Tangier at the mouth of the Mediterranean. Their plan was to reenact the USS Cole incident; allegedly, they had been preparing to pack inflatable rubber speedboats with explosives and crash them against naval assets. The women were allegedly to act as couriers for these operations.

In the past, Morocco had served as a base for launching Al Qaeda operatives into Europe. Sara , a sister ship of the Karine-A, captured by the Israeli navy while carrying 50 tons of arms and ammunition from Iran for the Palestine Authority, had operated from Casablanca. The ship had 15 Pakistani nationals on board who posed as sailors and were linked to the Al Qaeda terror network.

Apparently, Morocco set up an observation post on the disputed island/rock of Leila about 4 miles from Ceuta that is claimed by Spain who call it Isla del Perejil, or Parsley Island. Spain and Morocco have had strained relations since Spain's colonial days when it controlled much of the North African coastline. Spain continues to control two small enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, along the Moroccan coast. The Moroccan deployment of soldiers was designed to help ward off illegal immigrants to Europe and cooperate in the war on terrorism. But Madrid claimed that Rabat had violated Spanish sovereignty. Incidentally, the boats of the suicide bombers were to depart from the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilia. Morocco is considered a moderate Islamic state and enjoys good relations with the US. It has escaped terrorist violence and enjoys an international image as a relaxed, peaceful tourist destination.

As regards the kamikaze tactics, there is evidence that suicide attacks have emerged as the most popular tactics of the Al Qaeda network. They are familiar with the use of explosive laden motor-propelled fast boats that act as “human torpedoes�. Suicide attack against maritime targets is a favored tactic, as would be apparent from the following table.

These incidents reveal that the terrorist groups have acquired capability and expertise to undertake suicide attacks against ships both in harbor and at sea. Lacking technological superiority over a stronger enemy, these groups have adopted asymmetric strategies that involve use of improvised explosive devices, submersibles, mini submarines and explosive filled high-speed boats.