AN ENDURING THREAT: EUROPE’S ISLAMIST TERROR NETWORKS THEN AND NOW 820 Afghanistan. It is unclear where he was based prior to this, but he had been convicted in absentia in 1995 by a French court for involvement in a series of bombings in Paris, so is likely to have spent some time in France prior to 1995. In October 2000, he moved on to Frankfurt, where he met up with Lamine 821 Maroni, Salim Boukhari, 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 822 explosives, firearms, fake and stolen IDs and a significant haul of hashish. Charged with conspiracy to 823 murder, Sabour was convicted in March 2003 and sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison. Foreign training/combat: Sabour spent two years in Afghanistan between 1998 and 2000 and was taught how to build bombs. Movements: Bosnia (Unclear); Pakistan (Unclear); Afghanistan (1998-2000); London (July 2000); Germany (December 2000). Criminal history: 824 Convicted in absentia in 1995 for bombings in France. Convicted of conspiracy to 825 murder in March 2003. Known to the authorities: Sabour appears to have come to the attention of the authorities after French 826 intelligence alerted German authorities to the plot, after which the group came under surveillance. Networks and associates: -! The ‘Frankfurt Cell’: Lamine Maroni, Salim Boukhari, Aeroubi Beandali [Convicted alongside 827 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 828 convicted in December 2004]. Abu Doha network: -! Abu Doha [Doha was contacted by the cell members to request more money 829 in late December 2000]. LAMINE MARONI Role: Convicted of involvement in the plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Gathered bomb- 830 making material and carried out reconnaissance. ! ! 820 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002, available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/apr/21/terrorism.religion, last visited: 9 August 2016. 821 Finn, P., ‘Five Linked to Al Qaeda Face Trial in Germany’, The Washington Post, 15 April 2002. 822 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002. 823 ‘Jail for Strasbourg bomb plotters’, BBC News, 16 December 2004; and Simcox, R. et al., ‘Islamist Terrorism: The British Connections’, The Henry Jackson Society (2011), p. 361. 824 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002. 825 ‘Jail for Strasbourg bomb plotters’, BBC News, 16 December 2004. 826 Finn, P., ‘Five Linked to Al Qaeda Face Trial in Germany’, The Washington Post, 15 April 2002. 827 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. 828 ‘French court convicts group in Strasbourg Christmas market bomb’, Agence France Presse, 16 December 2004. 829 Harris, P. et al., ‘Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter’, Guardian, 21 April 2002. 830 Boyes, R., ‘Algerians jailed for Christmas bomb plot’, The Times, 11 March 2003. ! ! 66 !