The Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade may be the name of an active al-Qaeda cell in Europe or the organization that oversees al-Qaeda's European operations. Of course, the Brigade may exist in name only as well.  <P><br /><br />Named for infamous al-Qaeda terrorist Mohhamed Atef aka Abu Hafs, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade is known only through statements published through the London Arabic language daily al Quds al Arabi. Through this publication, the group has claimed responsibility for several large terrorist strikes, including the July London bombings, the 2004 Madrid train bombings, and the massive blackouts that occurred in North America in the summer of 2003. The attacks for which they claim responsibility are generally attributed to al-Qaeda, or al-Qaeda-linked groups. Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's #2, has claimed responsbility for the organization on more than one occasion. The group appears to be recently formed (as Atef was only killed in late 2001), but it may reflect only a name-change in memory of Atef for a pre-existing off-shoot or operational division of al-Qaeda. <P><br /><br />Doubts of the group's existence stem from the fact that several of their claims are clearly false. The 2003 blackouts, for example, were caused by technical errors. The Abu Hafs group, however, referred to the incident as one of its "operations" - "Operation Quick Lightning in the Land of the Tyrant of This Generation." <P><br /><br />This claim certainly calls the group's credibility into question. However, there is no conclusive evidence to show that all of their claims are false. What is clear in their statements, though, is that the group subscribes to the ideology of al-Qaeda. Abu Hafs al-Masri has publicly reiterated arguments made by Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden, such as the contention that westerners are themselves responsible for Islamist attacks on civilians because of their democratic systems.  <P><br /><br />The Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade is most likely either a subset of al-Qaeda or a copy-cat group that has joined its jihad against the west. Its size and membership are unclear, as is its access to the al-Qaeda leadership, resources, and network.  <br />