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Top German spy: Islamic State more brutal than al-Qaida

By Reuters in Berlin | China Daily | Updated: 2014-09-01 07:06

Some young Muslims are attracted to the Islamic State group because of its brutality, which makes it appear "more authentic" than al-Qaida, the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency said in an interview on Sunday.

"There is a link between the successes (the Islamic State group) has had so far in Iraq and the activities here in Germany and the propaganda and canvassing activities aimed at young jihadists," said Hans-Georg Maassen, head of Germany's BfV domestic intelligence agency.

"The Islamic State is, so to speak, the 'in' thing - much more attractive than the Nusra Front, the al-Qaida spinoff in Syria," the BfV chief told Deutschlandfunk public radio.

"What attracts people is the intense brutality, the radicalism and rigor. That suggests to them that it is a more authentic organization even than al-Qaida," he said. "Al-Qaida fades besides the Islamic State when it comes to brutality."

Chancellor Angela Merkel cites the success of the Islamic State group in recruiting German jihadists as a reason for her country to make an "exception" to its postwar policy of not sending arms to areas of conflict. Her government will decide on Sunday what military aid to send to Kurdish forces in Iraq fighting the Islamic State group.

German intelligence estimates that at least 400 Germans have joined the Islamic State insurgency in Syria and Iraq. Maassen said there was evidence that five German citizens or residents had carried out suicide attacks for the insurgents there in recent months.

The BfV has estimated that there are about 43,000 Islamists in Germany, with the numbers of the ultraconservative Salafi movement seeing particular growth. The agency says the Internet plays an important role in recruiting youngsters.

Opinion polls suggest the German public has no appetite for getting involved in Iraq's conflict, and Merkel has made clear she will not send combat troops. The opposition has warned that weapons could end up in the wrong hands and demanded a debate in parliament, which is scheduled for Monday.

When asked about the impact on the domestic security situation of the conflict between Ukrainian government forces and separatists, Maassen said the BfV did not detect an increase in the number of Russian agents in Germany, "which has always been at a relatively high level".

(China Daily 09/01/2014 page11)

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