Washington, July 09: The al-Qaeda network is seeking to recruit young Muslims in Canada who could be easily infiltrated into the United States, according to an FBI official quoted by a top news magazine. Recruiters working for Osama bin Laden's terrorist group are looking for young Muslims who have studied or worked in the United States and know its society or culture, according to Larry Mefford, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's counter-terrorism division.
He said al-Qaeda had to "refocus its efforts" after the September 11 attacks in 2001, when the United States made it more difficult for foreigners from Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, Pakistan, Egypt and Southeast Asia to get US visas. The magazine said that the FBI raised the alert after the arrest of Mohammed "Sammy" Jabara. According to US investigators, Jabara has admitted involvement in several attempted attacks in Southeast Asia.
He is also said to have been present when his brother, Abdel Rahman Jabara, was killed during a gun battle with Saudi forces near the border with Jordan on July 3. The magazine said the brothers had strong links with Canada. Their Iraqi father and Kuwaiti mother emigrated to St Catherine in Canada's Ontario province in 1994. They were said to have joined al-Qaeda in Pakistan in 1990. Bureau Report