Islamic terrorist suspects ‘come and go’ under gardaí surveillance
Mr Ahern commented after US documents claimed six units with Islamic terrorist links were in the Republic in 2003, delivering financial, logistic and operational support to cells abroad. The information came from contacts between the US embassy in Dublin and Washington-based groups like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Mr Ahern, while acknowledging the information was “gleaned mainly from garda sources”, stressed Islamic terrorist units here in general were not linked with the wider Muslim community.
“The Islamic community in Ireland has been very responsive and co-operative in dealing with such matters and the Government and security services are always confident of the support of the Irish Islamic community in its commitment to countering activities related to terrorism.”
But, Mr Ahern added: “The few who are watched closely usually move into the international domain, though they do exist.”
The documents released to RTÉ under US Freedom of Information legislation, show the embassy named several terrorist groups having a presence here.
Responding to questions in the Dáil by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Mr Ahern yesterday added:
“As I understand it, a small number of people are closely watched and monitored. These are considered to be highly classified people that come and go from this country.”
He said state security also cooperated with Europol and Interpol, among others.
Earlier this year, a Tunisian banker here lost an appeal against an EU order freezing his financial assets on the grounds that he had links to al-Qaeda.
It emerged Bin Muhammad Ayadi Chafiq was living here in 2003, when a European Commission listing of suspects funding terrorism said he was in Ireland. He was accused of financing Osama Bin Laden’s network and is thought to have visited the US twice just before the September 11 attacks.
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