Iraq a 'black hole' for Islamist recruiting, top anti-terror judge tells AFP

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2004

PARIS (AFP) — The US-led occupation of Iraq has boosted recruitment to Islamist groups in Europe and is a "black hole" pulling in militants from across the Middle East, France's top anti-terrorist judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere told AFP in an exclusive interview.

There is so far no evidence of an organised network in Europe smuggling militants into Iraq to fight US forces there, Bruguiere said, but he warned that groups linked to Al-Qaeda were making full use of the instability as a propaganda tool.

"Jihad is above all about taking up arms and fighting the infidel, and Iraq is getting to the point where it can play this role. Increasingly it will wield a power of attraction for groups in the region ... It is a kind of black hole, drawing them in," he said.

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