Cartoonist attacker has known terrorism connections

Cartoonist Kurt Westergaard survived a home invasion but must have doubts about his future:

Danish police admitted yesterday that a Somalian caught breaking into the home of a cartoonist whose work sparked riots across the Muslim world five years ago was a would-be assassin with links to al-Qaida.

The 28-year-old had an axe and a knife when he was shot and wounded by police late on Friday night after cartoonist Kurt Westergaard heard windows being broken and pressed a panic alarm at his house in Aarhus.

News of the attack on Westergaard, 74, who was with his five-year-old granddaughter at the time, shocked many in Denmark who had believed the country's brush with Islamist extremism was consigned to the past.

Given what's known about the Somali attacker many Danes must wonder why the Hell he hasn't been sent packing:

He had "close ties to the Somali terror organisation al-Shabaab as well as to al-Qaida leaders in East Africa", the Danish security and intelligence service, PET, said in a statement.

Westergaard's attacker, who has a residence permit for Denmark, is also "suspected of being involved in terror-related activities in East Africa", the intelligence statement said.

If only police had shot him fatally, instead of the leg and arm, this Islamonutter's career would be over, instead it's only been interrupted.