A network of terror
By Fadhal A. Ghani, New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR: The infiltration of terror groups into local universities is only the tip of the iceberg.
It is now learnt that an al-Qaeda-backed group in the country has spread its tentacles into mosques and several non-governmental organisations.
The group was trying to recruit more members, especially in Penang and Selangor, where it had plans to blow up places of worship in the two states.
Police sources told the New Straits Times that the terror group’s influence here was widespread.
This was made possible as the group’s leader, Aiman Al Dakak, a 45-year-old Syrian, had a free run here for six years.
During that time, he had enrolled for courses in three universities in Selangor and Penang but never completed them.
“He enrolled for the courses as a ploy to get access to universities so that he could influence more students to join him,” said a source.
Aiman’s main mission was to recruit more members, including suicide bombers for al-Qaeda and the regional terror organisation, Jemaah Islamiyah.
Police have so far identified at least 30 students who they believe are supporters of the Syrian, who was said to be closely linked to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
Aiman’s right-hand man here was Malaysian freelance religious teacher Azzahari Murad.
The two recruited eight foreign students to be key members of their group. These students’ would then identify potentila recruits on campus.
Once they had identified the students, Aiman and Azzahari would step in. “Both of them were charmers. They were soft-spoken, portrayed themselves to be humble and reli gious and that they were fighting for a worthy cause,” said the source.
Investigations revealed that Aiman would greet foreign students at the airport and take them under his wing.
“These students were coming here for the first time and when Aiman approached them, they took to him immediately. He allowed some of them to stay in his house before they enrolled in their universities and found their own accommodation.”
Aiman’s plans were crushed when police raided his commune in Kam pung Chincin, Gombak, in January and detained 10 of them under the Internal Security Act.
More than 40 other local and for eign university students who attend ed Aiman’s classes were detained for investigations before they were re leased.
The eight others who were de tained with Aiman and Azzahari in cluded the Aiman’s son, Mohamed Hoz ifa, two other Syrians, two Nigerians, two Yemenis and a Jordanian.
Investigations also revealed that the eight foreign students were slated for training in Yemen.
All eight foreign students were de ported to their countries in April and are believedsaid to be detained there.
Aiman was in Malaysia for six years with his wife and five children, between the ages of 3 and 20. They were also deported in April.
Aiman was wanted for terrorism in Syria and had escaped to Afghanistan where he joined al-Qaeda.
After the Sept 11, 2001 attacks he fled to Pakistan where he lectured in Abu Bakar Islamic University in Karachi, where he had studied ear lier.
He met Azzahari, who was pur suing a degree in religious studies at the university, in the mid-1990s,
It was learnt that Azzahari re ceived his primary and secondary education in Perak before enrolling in a religious school in Bagan Serai, Perak and later in Pasir Tumbuh, Kelantan.
In 1992, he joined Abu Bakar Is lamic University and after graduating, went to Afghanistan for terrorist training. He returned to Pakistan and joined the terror group Lashkar-e- Toiba.
Azzahari was said to be a financier of Aiman’s terror group in Malaysia. He is now being held under the Restricted Residence Act in Sungai Buloh.
