Brazilian Intelligence Agency confirms terrorist message against the country

A message posted on Twitter in November last year, shortly after the

Published on 14/04/2016 - 19:46 By Alex Rodrigues reports from Agência Brasil - Brasília

Ameaça islâmica no Twitter

French Maxime Hauchard, member of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization, posted the threat on his personal Twitter account. reprodução/Twitter

A message—"Brazil, you are our next target"—was posted in November last year on Twitter in November last year, shortly after the attacks that killed 129 people and left dozens more injured, in France. However, only on Wednesday (Apr. 13), the Brazilian Intelligence Agency ( ABIN, in the original acronym) confirmed the authenticity of the twitter profile and of the message. French Maxime Hauchard, member of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization, posted the threat on his personal Twitter account.

Although a few websites disclosed the message at the time, like the French radio Tendance Ouest, in Brazil the topic was only made public Wednesday (Apr. 13), when Luiz Alberto Sallaberry, director of the Counter-terrorism Department at ABIN, confirmed the information during a lecture at the International Trade Fair for Public and Corporate Safety, in São Paulo. Sallaberry addressed possible terrorist threats to Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the risks to which Brazil is currently exposed, and spoke about ISIS strategies for recruitment and attack orders through social networks.

The director of ABIN has not only revealed that the agency confirmed the authenticity of the threat, but also said that the probability of aiming at Brazil as a target for terrorist attacks has increased in the past few months because of attacks in other countries and the increased number of Brazilians adopting ISIS ideology.

According to Salaberry, ABIN has adopted some measures to prevent possible terrorist attacks, like exchanging information between foreign services, training professionals from strategic sectors, and working with agencies members of the Brazilian Intelligence System, especially from public safety and defense areas.

Known as "executioner," French Maxime Hauchard is suspected of being one of the terrorists, identified in videos showing kidnapped people, mostly Syrian soldiers, being beheaded by ISIS. Websites that disclosed the message when it was posted, observed that the twitter account had been created shortly before the French attacks. Currently, the account is deactivated.

Agência Brasil did not find out further details about connections between Brazilians and the terrorist group.


Translated by Amarílis Anchieta


Fonte: Brazilian Intelligence Agency confirms terrorist message against the country

Edition: Nádia Franco / Olga Bardawil

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