AN ENDURING THREAT: EUROPE’S ISLAMIST TERROR NETWORKS THEN AND NOW SALIM BOUKHARI Role: Convicted of involvement in the plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Gathered bomb- 842 making material and carried out reconnaissance. Bio: Born in Algeria, Boukhari moved to France to study in the early 1990s before moving to London. He worked as a security guard and trained to be a chef, living in Leyton, East London, as well as attending the Finsbury Park Mosque. He became increasingly radical and decided to travel to Afghanistan, travelling 843 via Pakistan to Jalalabad. He is believed to have stayed there between 1998 and 2000, meeting Strasbourg plot cell members Fouhad Sabour and Lamine Maroni while there before returning to London in the 844 summer of 2000. He travelled to Frankfurt that November alongside Maroni and met up with Sabour, 845 Aeroubi Beandali and Mohamed Bensakhria. 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 846 stolen IDs and a significant haul of hashish. Charged with conspiracy to murder, Boukhari was convicted in March 2003 and sentenced to 12 years in prison.847 Foreign training/combat: Boukhari spent two years in Afghanistan between 1998 and 2000 and was taught how to build bombs. Movements: France (Early 1990s); UK (1990s, August 2000); Afghanistan (1998-2000); Germany 848 (November 2000). Criminal history: 849 Convicted of conspiracy to murder in March 2003. Known to the authorities: Boukhari appears to have come to the attention of the authorities after French 850 intelligence alerted German authorities to the plot, after which the group came under surveillance. Networks and associates: The ‘Frankfurt Cell’: -! Fouhad Sabour, Lamine Maroni, Aeroubi Beandali [Convicted alongside 851 as members of the ‘Frankfurt cell’ in March 2003]; Mohamed Bensakhria, Slimane Khalfaoui, Rabah Kadre, Yacine Aknouche, Lazhar Ben Mohammed Tlili, Abdelkader Tcharek, Merouane Berrahal, Laurent Mourad Djoumakh, Samir Korchi, Nicolas Belloni [‘Frankfurt cell’ members 852 convicted in December 2004]. ! ! 842 Boyes, R., ‘Algerians jailed for Christmas bomb plot’, The Times, 11 March 2003. 843 Taylor, P., ‘A Jihad Warrior in London’, Guardian, 9 February 2004, available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/feb/09/alqaida.terrorism, last visited: 9 August 2016. 844 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002. 845 Finn, P., ‘Five Linked to Al Qaeda Face Trial in Germany’, The Washington Post, 15 April 2002. 846 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002. 847 ‘Strasbourg bomb plotters jailed’, BBC News, 10 March 2003. 848 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002; and Taylor, P, ‘A Jihad Warrior in London’, Guardian, 9 February 2004. 849 ‘Strasbourg bomb plotters jailed’, BBC News, 10 March 2003. 850 Finn, P., ‘Five Linked to Al Qaeda Face Trial in Germany’, The Washington Post, 15 April 2002. 851 Boyes, R., ‘Algerians jailed for Christmas bomb plot’, The Times, 11 March 2003; and Tremlett, G, ‘Spanish police arrest Bin Laden suspect’, Guardian, 23 June 2001. 852 ‘French court convicts group in Strasbourg Christmas market bomb’, Agence France Presse, 16 December 2004. ! ! 68 !