MARSEILLE, FRANCE // For some observers of the phenomenon of foreigners choosing to fight with Islamists in Syria, the Brussels Jewish museum killings reveal another failure of western intelligence to prevent the preventable.
To others, the attack demonstrates the limits faced by authorities in tracking combatants’ movements and identifying their intentions.
In fact, the case of the suspected Brussels killer, Mehdi Nemmouche, a convicted armed robber who joined the Syrian conflict after his last prison sentence, highlights both the failures of monitoring and the difficulties police and intelligence officers face.
The lure of the fight against the Damascus regime of Bashar Al Assad is not a purely western issue. The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) based at King’s College, London, estimates that of 8,500-9,000 foreigners who joined the conflict between late 2011 and December 2013, 70 per cent were from the Middle East and North Africa.
Estimates for individual Mena countries ranged from very small –maximums of only one or two Mauritanians and Omanis, and 12 from Bahrain – to as many as 890 from Lebanon, 970 from Tunisia, 1,016 from Saudi Arabia and 2,089 from Jordan. The ICSR accepts a high potential margin of error and minimum estimates are significantly lower – for example, 386 Saudis and as few as 180 Jordanians.
But this and other research leads a number of academics to assert that both the appeal of foreign combat and the potential threat posed by participants to their own countries, is global.
The fortuitous arrest of Nemmouche has been followed by a series of questions about whether French intelligence could have done more, perhaps even averted the shooting in Belgium on May 24.
Even the government-owned television network France 24 pointed out that Nemmouche, like Mohamed Merah before him, had been identified as a potential threat by France’s DGSI domestic intelligence agency. His alleged descent into extremism appears to have been obvious to those dealing with him.
Merah murdered seven people, including three Jewish children, in a series of attacks in south-western France before being shot dead by police in a siege of his home in Toulouse in 2012.
“The DGSI came under heavy criticism for failing to stop Merah,” France 24 said. “... Two years later, it seems that history is repeating itself.”
French courts have begun the process of considering a Belgian request for the extradition of Nemmouche for murder and attempted murder.
Three people, a French voluntary worker and a holidaying Israeli couple, died in the attack. A fourth victim, a Belgian man, was critically injured and died on Friday, the public prosecutor’s office said.
Nemmouche, 29, from the northern French town of Roubaix, is what the Paris public prosecutor, Francois Molins, has called a “lone wolf”.
“It is more difficult to monitor a solitary individual who is also mobile than an identified and localised radical group,” an antiterrorism officer told the French daily newspaper, Aujourd’hui en France. Nemmouche apparently carried no mobile telephone, avoided social networks and had no known address.
Nemmouche, of Algerian family background, was regarded by his lawyer and prison officers as an everyday young convict when previously jailed for various criminal enterprises.
He had a troubled childhood, shunted between foster homes. But he was not known before imprisonment as a devout Muslim, let alone an extremist, and was described as a reasonable student with good communication skills.
Gradually, following a classic route also taken by Mohamed Merah, he became radicalised in jail. He was put in isolation after being accused of “aggressively proselytising” other prisoners.
Prison officers say he rejected access to a television, regarding it as “superficial”, but changed his mind at the time of Merah’s killings. Once media interest faded, he stopped watching.
Soon after his release at the end of 2012, he travelled via Turkey to train and fight with Islamists, according to Mr Molins.
Returning to Europe in March, he was questioned by German officers on arrival in Frankfurt after a circuitous route including Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
Hampered by his entitlement under Europe’s Schengen agreement to cross borders, and with no evidence of planned wrongdoing, the German authorities merely alerted French counterparts to his movements.
Since his arrest in Marseille on May 29, Nemmouche has refused to answer questions. He was detained after a routine drugs search on arrival in the southern French port by coach on a service from Amsterdam and Brussels.
Mr Molins said he was carrying a Kalashnikov rifle, a revolver and also had a mobile camera. A memory stick recording allegedly suggested he intended to film his attack but that the camera did not function.
The French government estimated in April that 285 French citizens were fighting in Syria, with 120 more “in transit” and 100 having returned after combat. Other estimates put the figure as high as 700 combatants.
The ICSR research confirms that increasing numbers are drawn from western countries. “Overall, we believe that residents and citizens from at least 74 countries have joined militant opposition groups in Syria,“ the institute says.
At the G7 (a group of seven of the world’s leading economies) summit in Brussels this week, the French president, Francois Hollande, said more than 30 French nationals had been killed in the conflict. He called for increased cooperation and intelligence sharing among states “to prevent, deter and punish this type of movement, which can jeopardise our own security”.
foreign.desk@thenational
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
The%20Kitchen
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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The%20Specs
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Company%20Profile
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
MATCH RESULT
Liverpool 4 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Liverpool: Salah (26'), Lovren (40'), Solanke (53'), Robertson (85')
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
The%20specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes