Al Qaeda Plotting Terror Attack against Asia

The Financial Times, a British newspaper, reported on August 25 that Al Qaeda, an international terrorist organization, is plotting another terror attack against a financial hub in Asia, including Tokyo, Singapore and other possible targets.

The daily quoted Jean-Louis Bruguiere, the chief anti-terror investigative judge in France who has been studying 500 terror cases over the past 20 years, as saying, “We have information that Al Qaeda is plotting terrorist acts against Asia to dampen the investment sentiment in the region. Japan is likely to be an easy target.” The investigative judge in France has the same authority to lead the investigation as the prosecutor in Korea.

He said, “Al Qaeda has power and will to destabilize South Asia and East Asia, but people in these regions don’t pay attention to the possible danger,” and warned, “Asian countries don’t take possible terror attacks seriously, because they have experienced few terror attacks committed by Islamic extremists. But when Tokyo comes under attack, they will face serious consequences.”

He earned his nickname “sheriff” for pointing out over and over the danger of terror attacks by Islamic extremists since the serial explosions in Paris in the mid 1980s. He also warned of a possible terror attack using hijacked airplanes right before the 9-11 terrorist attack on the U.S.

The Financial Times reported that Katsuya Okada, the president of Japan’s opposition Democratic Party, said, “It is not a matter of whether, but it is a matter of when it will happen in Japan.”

Yoon-Jong Yoo gustav@donga.com