Bin Laden raises taxes in France - 12 September, 2002

Bin Laden’s followers showed up once again on the day of the 9/11 tragic anniversary, this time in France. However, it is not clear whether those were people belonging to al-Qaeda, or someone acted under the guise of bin Laden’s followers.

Several presidents of offices of the largest companies located in France got letters with the demand to pay a $500,000 tax to conduct jihad. Letters with similar demands and threats appeared several weeks ago. At the same time imitations of hand grenades were found in front of the Rolex and Reebok central offices in France.  In several day, presidents of the companies got letters with threats addressed to them personally and to their families. Some strangers demanded to pay a tax dedicated to the tragic anniversary of September 11, which would be further used for a jihad. Pictures of a number one terrorist, Osama bin Laden, and some man in a hood were attached to the letters. However, no addresses were mentioned in the letters to which money could be sent.

According to France’s Le Figaro, the letters signed by the leader of the France department of the People’s front for Palestinian liberation were mailed from an eastern suburb of Paris. The Paris police is currently investigating, to what extent the threats are feasible and where they are coming from.

There is no reason so far to believe that the letters are mailed by some people connected with al-Qaeda. It is not ruled out that they are just a stupid joke, or someone is trying to profit from it. On the other hand, we remember perfectly well that warnings of coming terrorist attacks had been also ignored before the September 11.

It is not ruled out that some European country may be targeted for next terrorist attacks. France, where many immigrants from Arab countries live, is also under the threat of terrorist attacks. Very likely, some of the Arabs living in France are connected with the mailed threats.

Vasily Bubnov
PRAVDA.Ru