Chinese Al-Qaeda

When discussing Al-Qaeda terrorists, China is not one of the first places we picture, but maybe it should be.  With the 2008 Olympics, China has begun a crackdown on al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups (at least for the media and public consumption, one never knows how serious they really are or if they simply want to put on a good face for the public).

China claims to have foiled five terror plots against the Olympics.  However, 'human rights groups expressed scepticism about the claims, saying the authorities were using the Olympic threat to crack down on innocent victims and peaceful critics of Chinese communist rule.'

China also claims that 'Chinese police shot dead five members of a Muslim ethnic minority they said were bent on waging holy war inspired by al-Qaeda and setting up an independent state'.  They also wounded two in the same action.

State media said when police raided the apartment where 15 ethnic Uighurs were hiding, several rushed out wielding knives, shouting “sacrifice for Allah”.

Chinese authorities have replaced top police and security officials in the Muslim dominated Xinjiang province, which is the hotbed of separatism and political violence. They have also closed down 41 “illegal” places of worship.

These places of worship were used as training ground for conducting a “holy war”, Chen Zhuangwei Chen, the police chief of Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang province, said. Xinjiang, which borders central Asia and Pakistan, has been the scene of a pro-independence movement by a section of the eight million Uighurs living there for a long time.

The authorities also announced they have detained 82 “suspected terrorists” in the past six months in view of fears that they might disrupt the Olympic Games.  (The Times of India, via National Terror Alert)

The American Spectator writes about China's 30-million-strong Muslim community:

For, in truth, the Islamic Jihadists of China's Xinjiang are linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda. Their terrorist methods and ideology are of a piece with the larger Islamic Jihadist goal to overthrow existing governments and install a religious theocracy. They, in fact, represent the Chinese battlefront of the worldwide Islamic Jihad.

Here, Bill Gertz says, "China's military has provided training for Afghanistan's Taliban militia and its al Qaeda supporters, according to a U.S. intelligence report." 

The training of the Taliban forces took place before September 11. It was carried out in cooperation with Pakistan's ISI intelligence service, defense officials told us.

The free world continues to fight the rise of political Islam, (is there any non-political Islam???).

Other reading:

China's Al-Qaeda, from The Opposite End of China

Exclusive: How You Can Help Save American Kids from Pakistani Madrassas

Judge Orders Al-Arian's Release on Bond

Bobby Jindal, America's Most Transformational Governor

Ehud Barak To Tell President Bush ‘Time Is Running Out On Iran’

Comments

[Stormwarning]

Many people believe that the "foiled terror attacks" were phonied, but you can't take the chance. On the otherhand, I find it interesting that the Chinese Msulim terrorists are linked to Taliban and al Qaeda. Seems like only yesterday that the Taliban were being declared dead (again).

PS: I also heard this morning that the Chinese Olympic committee has banned all dog meat menu items from Olympics sanctioned hotels, along with dog meat by-products. Taking into account Western "sensitivities."

[Debbie]

Makes me want to become a vegetarian.

[Stormwarning]

It only means that you've got to read the ingredients labels.

[Felix]

The Eastern Turkestan Independence Movement has nothing to do with wanting to establish some world-dominating Muslim Theocracy, like Al-Qaeda is made out to be doing. China only linked this issue with Al-Qaeda in order to get the West's sympathy and support. If anything Xinjiang has more in common with Tibet than it does with Al-Qaeda, and if the West would see past its own Islamophobia it would see this, and stand with the Uighur people just as it stands with Tibet.