A rchive Date
[ 04-01-2003 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Germany ]
|
[http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/world/1724155
Extremists find shared tie in hate
Islamics, neo-Nazis abhor Israel, U.S.
By JEFFREY FLEISHMAN
Los Angeles Times
Jan. 3, 2003, 10:02PM
BERLIN - They are unlikely allies, but right-wing extremists and Islamic militants share a hatred for Israel and the United States that has drawn the attention of German authorities.
Since 2001, when Islamic extremists and neo-Nazis cheered the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, the two camps have echoed one another's abhorrence of what they view as a world controlled by Jews and enforced by Washington's military power.
There are no links suggesting that right-wing and Islamic groups are collaborating on terrorism-related strategies, but law enforcement officials are concerned over the growing, and sometimes surreal, attraction between the two.
"The common ground they share is deep on two issues," said one Western diplomat. "They cannot tolerate the existence of Israel, and they share a conspiracy theory that the U.S. wants to control the Middle East and the world's energy supply. It's a very paranoid world view, but they share it deeply."
Though extremists in both camps have been eyeing each other for decades, many are skeptical that such an alliance can advance very far, given broad religious and philosophical differences and the strong racism among right-wing extremists.
Neo-Nazis and skinheads historically have attacked immigrant Muslims and other foreigners for spoiling their dream of a pure German state. The street-level thugs of the right wing, according to some officials, will not easily abandon anti-foreigner sentiments in favor of joining Islamists in a campaign of violence against the United States and Israel.
Although neo-Nazi shock troops may not be embracing their Islamic counterparts, right-wing leaders and ideologues have come to admire the tenacity of Muslim militants. This was heightened after the Sept. 11 attacks, when right-wing extremists were awed by the al-Qaida network's dedication and patient planning in striking the icons of American capitalism and military prowess.
"Islamic militants are strange heroes for the right wing," said Herbert Mueller, a government analyst of political extremism in Baden-Wuerttemberg state. "The right wing detests Islam, but that kind of commitment shows what they are lacking."
But there is evidence of attraction between the radical views of East and West. Islamic fashion has even added a dash of color to the drab skinhead uniform of high boots and jeans. Neo-Nazis have been appearing at German rallies wearing Palestinian scarves and calling for worldwide intifada.
And last summer, members of the right-wing fringe group Fighting Union of German Socialists attended a ceremony at the Iraqi Embassy in Berlin to receive an award from Saddam Hussein's regime.
"For us," a member of the group, Tomas Behl, was quoted as saying, "Iraq is of special importance because in Saddam Hussein there is a person who reminds us of our leader, Adolf Hitler, who is standing up against superpower America and who is not willing to bend his knees."
Groups such as the Fighting Union of German Socialists are considered absurd by law enforcement and intelligence officials. But more mainstream right-wing leaders, such as Austria's Joerg Haider, the unofficial head of the Freedom Party, have made overtures to the radical Arab world.
Haider visited Libya and Iraq several times in recent years. One of the most troubling figures on the right is Huber, a Swiss businessman and right-wing leader who travels throughout Europe and the United States promoting radical views and closer ties with Islamic groups.
Huber converted to Islam in the 1960s. He denies that the Holocaust happened, and he supports jihad, or Islamic holy struggle. He was a member of the board of Nada Management, a financial services subsidiary of the international Al Taqwa group. U.S. law enforcement agencies allege that Al Taqwa served as a financial adviser to Osama bin Laden. Huber, who could not be reached for comment, has said the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon signified a war against "Satan's symbols."
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
|