Brazil’s Revista Veja, which in the past has detailed how Hugo Chavez is a threat to Latin America’s stability and democracies (calling him “Totalitarianism’s clone” six years ago), is now reporting on al-Qaeda’s presence in Brazil.
Reuters has the story,
Al Qaeda operatives are in Brazil planning attacks, raising money and recruiting followers, a leading news magazine reported Saturday, renewing concerns about the nation serving as a hide-out for Islamic militants.
For some reason Yahoo news (link above) did not mention Hamas and Hezbollah, which the Jerusalem Post does (h/t Gates of Vienna),
Operatives from Hamas, Hezbollah, and al Qaida are in Brazil planning attacks, raising money and recruiting followers, a leading Brazilian news magazine reported on Saturday.
Both Yahoo and the JP continue,
Veja magazine, in its online edition, reported that at least 20 people affiliated with al Qaeda as well as the Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah, the Palestinian group Hamas and two other organizations have been hiding out in the South American country.
The magazine said these operatives have been raising money and working to incite attacks abroad. The magazine cited Brazilian police and U.S. government reports, but did not give details on specific targets or operations.
The United States has said Islamic militants have been operating in the border region between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Brazil has denied this, while saying it is aware that some members of Brazil’s Lebanese community legally transferred funds to the Middle East.
The Veja online article (in Portuguese) headline reads, (my translation. Please link to this post and credit me if you use this translation)
Exclusivo: documentos da CIA, FBI e PF mostram como age a rede do terror islâmico no Brasil
A Polícia Federal tem provas de que a Al Qaeda e outras quatro organizações extremistas usam o país para divulgar propaganda, planejar atentados, financiar operações e aliciar militantes
Exclusive: CIA, FBI, and Federal Police document an Islamic terror network in Brazil.
The Federal Police show that al-Qaeda and four other organizations are using the country to spread propaganda, plan attacks, raise funds and recruit militants.
The article then directs its readers to read the report in the magazine’s print edition. I haven’t been able to locate this issue of Veja, so if any of my readers has, please let me know.
For older posts on terrorism in Brazil and the tri-border area,
Piracy, the Tri-Border Area and terrorism
US asks Paraguay to extradite suspected Hezbollah financier, formerly of Broooklyn and New Jersey
Following up on the triborder area nine,
UPDATE
Linked by The Datatech Guy.
