AN ENDURING THREAT: EUROPE’S ISLAMIST TERROR NETWORKS THEN AND NOW -! Abu Doha network: Abu Doha [Doha was contacted by the cell members, with Boukhari 853 believed to be the main contact, to request more money in late December 2000]. 854 855 AEROUBI BEANDALI aka Mustapha Kelouili aka Djilalli Benali Role: Convicted of involvement in the plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Gathered bomb- 856 making material and carried out reconnaissance. Bio: 857 Believed to be a French citizen of Algerian origin, Beandali claims to have travelled from Algeria to Germany in 1992 and to have lived an irreligious lifestyle, using alcohol and drugs. After being shocked by images from the Algerian Civil War in 1998, he became more religious and decided to travel to Afghanistan, flying first to a religious school in Pakistan and then to a training camp in Afghanistan where he “learned about weapons and explosives” and met Salim Boukhari.858 After spending nine months at 859 the training camp, Beandali appears to have returned to Germany, as he was living in Frankfurt when Boukhari brought Sabour and Maroni to his apartment in November 2000. He claims to have supplied 860 the cell's weapons. During December, he and the other men purchased chemicals used for bomb- making and filmed a reconnaissance tape, as well as contacting Abu Doha to request additional funds. After the phone call, and surveillance which suggested the men were moving weapons, they were arrested on 26 December 2000, with the police finding explosives, firearms, fake and stolen IDs and a significant 861 haul of hashish. Charged with conspiracy to murder, Beandali was convicted in March 2003 and 862 sentenced to ten years in prison despite showing repentance. Foreign training/combat: 863 Spent nine months in Afghanistan where he received weapons training. Movements: 864 Germany (1992); Afghanistan (late 1990s). Criminal history: 865 Beandali was known to the police through his drug dealing. Convicted of conspiracy 866 to murder in March 2003. Known to the authorities: Beandali appears to have come to the attention of the authorities after French 867 intelligence alerted German authorities to the plot, after which the group came under surveillance. ! ! 853 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002. 854 ‘FFI Report- Jihad in Europe’, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, 13 April 2004, available at: https://www.ffi.no/no/Rapporter/04-01146.pdf, last visited: 9 August 2016. 855 ‘German prosecutors seek heavy jail terms for bomb plot suspects’, Agence France Presse, 11 February 2003. 856 Boyes, R., ‘Algerians jailed for Christmas bomb plot’, The Times, 11 March 2003. 857 ‘French court convicts group in Strasbourg Christmas market bomb’, Agence France Presse, 16 December 2004. 858 Schelzig, E., ‘Repentant Algerian Tells of Bomb Plot’, The Washington Post, 24 April 2002, available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/04/24/repentant-algerian-tells-of-bomb-plot/2b04ceb2-7964-47a5-bb56-efb17fc9138f/, last visited: 9 August 2016. 859 ‘Militant admits French bomb plot’, BBC News, 23 April 2002, available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1946653.stm, last visited: 9 August 2016. 860 Schelzig, E., ‘Repentant Algerian Tells of Bomb Plot’, The Washington Post, 24 April 2002. 861 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002. 862 ‘Strasbourg bomb plotters jailed’, BBC News, 10 March 2003. 863 ‘Militant admits French bomb plot’, BBC News, 23 April 2002. 864 Schelzig, E., ‘Repentant Algerian Tells of Bomb Plot’, The Washington Post, 24 April 2002. 865 Boyes, R., ‘Algerians jailed for Christmas bomb plot’, The Times, 11 March 2003. 866 ‘Strasbourg bomb plotters jailed’, BBC News, 10 March 2003. 867 Finn, P., ‘Five Linked to Al Qaeda Face Trial in Germany’, The Washington Post, 15 April 2002. ! ! 69 !