OP SEORetj _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __jl b 1 b 3 EO 12958 1 4 b 25Yrs EO 12958 1 4 c 25Yrs EO 12958 1 4 d 25Yrs EO 12958 1 4 e 25Yrs EO 12958 3 c SENIOR EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE BRIEF · 6 February 2001 · · Sunni Terrorist Threat Gro 1n LJ The discovery ofmultiple terr orist plotsl hows an · energized international jihad movement is raising the threat to US interests particularly in the Middle Ef St and Europe Usama ijin Ladi n remains the most influential figure in the movement which · includes Egyptian and North African terrorist groups and mujahiqin fighting in areas such as Chechnya Kashmir and Central Asia -The newly detected plots represent the most significant spike in the network's terrorist activity since the time of the millennium linked to Bin Ladin in -- -- ----- - ----- -- '7 '- ------- -- l Jordan and Canada and the suspects in the bombing Qf the USS Cole first tried to attack a VS warshi p in Aden ·-The investigation into the Cole bombing points to the involvement of Yemeni and Saudi jihadists with varying ties to BinLadin have uncovered Sunni extremist cells planning near-term attacks ' -- - _- _- _- _- _- _J • I · Explaining the Surge _ _ _____ The spike in the network's activity stem_s in partfrom changes in Bin ·Ladin's practices To avoid implicating'lrlmseif and his Taliban hosts Bin Laclin over_ the past two years has allowed celis in his network al-Qa'ida to plan attacks more independently of the central leadership and has tried to gain support for bis agenda outside the group -The network also has ben fited from a sharp increase fu · mujahidin recruitment since the res uniptfon the conflict in Chechnya in 1999 which expos a new generation of militarits to terrorist t hniques and extre Qlist ideology through training at al-Qa'ida-run camps in Afghanistan or PPROVED FOR RELEASEL DATE 25-April-2012 -Violence between Israelis and th 'Palestinians moreover is making Sunni extremists more willing to participate in attacks _ ep SEGR ----------__J ' -co· r1s0-923 iOfi' SECAEil- ----------__J I against US or Israeli interests Persistent Threat Despite Disrup on L __ ___J - CIA is monitoring reports that other elements of the Sunni extremist network are planning attac --I -- · us OO -----------_J D