Al-Qaeda operatives in Botswana, report claims

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden speaks in a past video. Al-Qaeda operatives are reportedly using Botswana to prepare for terrorist attacks at the World Cup in neighbouring South Africa in 2010. Photo/REUTERS

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Botswana newspaper reports that security forces have arrested a number of suspected al-Qaeda terrorists who are using the country to prepare for attacks during World Cup football competition in neighbouring South Africa in 2010.

BOTSWANA, Monday - Scores of suspected Al-Qaeda operatives are reportedly using Botswana to prepare for terrorist attacks at the World Cup in neighbouring South Africa in 2010.

Botswana private weekly newspaper, the Sunday Standard reported in its current edition that the Botswana security forces have arrested a number of the terrorists, some of whom are languishing in police cells awaiting deportation.

At the same time, several foreigners in Botswana are under investigations on suspicion that they are working for Al-Qaeda.

Quoting what it termed highly classified documents in its possession, the Sunday Standard reports that Al-Qaeda operatives have been trying to establish sleeper cells in Botswana to make it easier to launch terrorist attacks during the World Cup.

Already, South Africa has been reportedly informed about the suspected Al-Qaeda operatives in Botswana. It said that most of the so-called Al-Qaeda operatives have taken advantage of the booming business of imported second hand cars in Botswana as a cover to set up base in the capital Gaborone.

Security agents in Botswana are believed to be probing second hand car dealers suspected to have Al-Qaeda links. The agents target businessmen who avoid bank transactions when conducting business, companies with directors who live in Kenya and the large number of entrepreneurs from the Middle East in Botswana especially Egyptians.

There are fears that Botswana is attractive for Al-Qaeda vis-à-vis launching attacks at the World Cup because of its weak financial and company regulatory regime. Hence the Botswana government is planning to tighten its laws to ensure that there are no loopholes for terrorists to exploit.

It is suspected that some of the car dealers in Botswana might be laundering money for Somali pirates hijacking ships off the Horn of Africa.