AN ENDURING THREAT: EUROPE’S ISLAMIST TERROR NETWORKS THEN AND NOW 1. Profiles: Brussels-Paris related networks ! 1.1 Brussels: Attackers 5 NAJIM LAACHRAOUI aka Soufiane/Soutane Kayal Role: Suicide bomber, Brussels airport; suspected of being the bomb and suicide-belt maker for Paris attacks; rented a house in Auvelais in October 2015 used by the Paris attackers.6 Bio 7 8 9 : Born 18 May 1991 in Morocco, the 24-year-old was raised in Schaerbeek, Brussels, with five younger siblings. He attended a private Catholic school in the Schaerbeek neighbourhood of Brussels until he was 18, after which he studied engineering at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. He did not complete his degree, moving on to Université Catholique de Louvain where he stayed from 2010-11 and 10 studied electro-mechanics. He is believed to have worked at the European Parliament as a cleaner 11 12 between 2009 and 2010. Laachraoui travelled to Syria in 2013 and joined IS, working as a guard for the group and becoming involved in the torture of hostages, such as Alan Henning and David Haines, as well 13 as carrying out mock executions. Foreign training/combat: 14 Described as a “suspected ISIL commander” who travelled to Syria in 2013. Movements: Laachraoui was stopped at the Austria-Hungary border on 19 September 2015 with Salah 15 Abdeslam and Mohamed Belkaid; he gave authorities his alias ‘Soufiane Kayal’. Criminal history: No known criminal history. Known to the authorities: Laachraoui was known to the authorities through his link with the radical preacher Khalid Zerkani. He was one of those indicted in absentia in an investigation into the network, ! ! 5 Boyle, C., ‘What we know so far about the fugitive Paris terror suspects’, Los Angeles Times, 21 March 2016, available at: http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-france-fugitive-20160321-story.html; Samuel, H., ‘Paris attacks accomplice whose DNA found on suicide vests identified’, The Telegraph, 21 March 2016, available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/12200210/Paris-attacks-accomplice-whose- DNA-found-on-suicide-vests-Najim-Laachraoui.html both last visited: 9 August 2016. 6 ‘Najim Laachraoui, 24, Bomb Maker for Paris and Brussels Attacks’, International New York Times, 25 March 2016, available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/26/world/europe/najim-laachraoui-24-bomb-maker-for-paris-and-brussels-attacks.html?_r=0, last visited: 9 August 2016. 7 Bacchi, U., ‘Manhunt for last Isis Paris attacks fugitives: Who are Najim Laachraoui and Mohamed Abrini?’, International Business Times, 21 March 2016, available at: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/manhunt-last-isis-paris-attacks-fugitives-who-are-najim-laachraoui-mohamed-abrini-1550800, last visited: 9 August 2016. 8 Austin, H., and Lisa McNally,, ‘Najim Laachraoui: What We Know About Suspected Bomb-Maker’, NBC News, 23 March 2016, available at: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/brussels-attacks/najim-laachraoui-what-we-know-about-suspected-bomb-maker-n543996, last visited: 9 August 2016. 9 Taylor, A., ‘Who is Najim Laachraoui, suspected ISIL bomb-maker wanted in connection with Brussels and Paris attacks?’, National Post, 23 March 2016, available at: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/who-is-najim-laachraoui-suspected-isil-bomb-maker-wanted-in-connection-with-brussels-and-paris-attacks, last visited: 9 August 2016. 10 Blaise, L. and Aurelien Breeden, ‘Najim Laachraoui, 24, Bomb Maker for Paris and Brussels Attacks’, International New York Times, 25 March 2016 [conflicting sources vis name of institution]. 11 ‘Brussels bomber ‘had cleaning job’ at European Parliament’, Times of Israel, April 2016, available at: http://www.timesofisrael.com/brussels-bomber-had- cleaning-job-at-european-parliament/, last visited: 9 August 2016. 12 Holehouse, M., ‘El-Bakraoui brothers: Who are the suicide bombers Khalid and Brahim behind the Brussels attacks?’ Daily Telegraph, 25 March 2016, available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/12201940/Brussels-attack-suspects-unmasked-the-El-Bakraoui-brothers.html, last visited: 9 August 2016. 13 Hunter, M., ‘Brussels airport bomber tortured British ISIS prisoners before they were beheaded… and regularly taunted them that it would be their ‘death tomorrow’’, Daily Mail Online, 13 May 2016, available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3589183/Brussels-airport-bomber-tortured-British-ISIS- prisoners-beheaded-regularly-taunted-death-tomorrow.html, last visited: 9 August 2016. 14 Holehouse, M., ‘El-Bakraoui brothers: Who are the suicide bombers Khalid and Brahim behind the Brussels attacks?’ Daily Telegraph, 25 March 2016. 15 ‘How are the Brussels attackers linked to Paris?’ France 24, 21 April 2016, available at: http://graphics.france24.com/brussels-attacks-suspects-paris-terrorists- airport-metro/, last visited: 9 August 2016. ! ! 8 !