Samer Abed a-Latif al-Barak believed to be an expert in biological weapons has been held in Israel custody for past 3 years, after previously having been detained by US & Jordan.

Israeli defense establishment is requesting a 6-month extension of his detention.

An al-Qaida terrorist with roots in Global Jihad has been held in Israel for the past three years under administrative detention, it emerged Sunday.

Handcuffed – Photo: Reuters

The terrorist, named as Samer Abed a-Latif al-Barak and reported to be of Palestinian origin, has been held in Israel since 2010. The defense establishment is requesting an extension of six months to his detention, which is said to expire in the coming days.

Israel’s security agencies are reluctant to free al-Barak, fearing that it would be “the point of no return for establishing a significant Jihad infrastructure in the region.”

Al-Barak has apparently previously been jailed in Jordan and the United States.

Following reports in Israeli media, a spokesman for the Justice Ministry issued what it called an initial statement, confirming that it had submitted a response on Sunday to the High Court regarding a petition over an administrative detention case.

The details from the Justice Ministry identify al-Barak as a member of al-Qaida, with a great deal of experience in non-conventional weapons, in particular biological weapons. The release of the prisoner, the state says, would be a point of no return for the establishment of a significant Global Jihad infrastructure in the region.

The response also identifies the prisoner as resident of the region, who was born in 1974. It says that the man left the region in 1997 to study microbiology in Pakistan. He then purportedly went to Afghanistan in 1998 for military training, and even apparently persuaded others from the region to do the same. This was, the state says, with the intention of returning to the region to train others.

The state’s response also claims that the man was recruited to al-Qaida in 2001 by the organization’s current leader, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. Over the years, the state says, the prisoner gained a great deal of experience in non-conventional weapons, with an emphasis on biological weapons.

Furthermore, the state says, the man was involved in planning terror attacks against Israelis and Jews in Jordan throughout 2001. He also agreed to train Palestinian terrorists in the production of poisons, in order to carry out attacks against Israelis.

The response also says that the man was arrested by the Americans for his activities for al-Qaida, questioned and detained by them, and in 2003 handed over to the Jordanians authorities, who held him until 2008. He was arrested by Israel in 2010.

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Global-Jihad-terorrist-held-in-Israel-for-three-years-332022