Al-Qaeda has instructed their Algerian counterpart, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC; Group Profile), to co-opt other North African groups and form a streamlined terror network for North Africa and Europe. The new network, know as The Union of the Arab Maghreb (UAM; Group Profile forthcoming), is comprised of the following:
? Morocco?s (Country Report) Islamic Combat Group (GICM; Group Profile),
? Libya?s (Country Report) Islamic Fighting Group (IFG; Group Profile),
? several extremist Tunisian groups,
? and the GSPC (source).
Reportedly, GSPC operatives are traveling across Europe to reconnect the various North African terror cells that are scattered across the continent. Counter-terrorism officials have documented contacts and financial flows between groups in Spain , Italy (especially Milan), the Netherlands , Belgium , and France . Terrorist cells have long been scattered across Western Europe; however, the UAM will likely serve as a connecting agent, linking al-Qaeda?s spider web that spans across Europe, North Africa, and into Sub-Saharan Africa. The merger is intended to make it easier to organize and execute attacks in the various countries throughout Europe.
Morocco Functions as a Recruitment Center for Sub-Saharan and North Africa Extremists for Iraq
As planed by the late leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq , Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the UAM has been tasked with specific roles. The plan provided for a Moroccan cell to recruit extremists in the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa to send operatives to Iraq as suicide bombers (source). The plan has been materialized, as witnessed by the attacks of two young Moroccan suicide bombers from Tetouan, Morocco, in Baquba, north of Baghdad, last week (Terrorist Incident forthcoming). And seven other potential bombers said to have left Tetouan for Baghdad remainl at large.
Leaders of the new UAM are likely to use the extremists? energy emanating from Iraq as a motivational tool for rallying their mujahideen to stay dedicated to the cause. A uniting ideology is the fuel necessary to stay the course for jihadists. Chances are good that other known terrorist groups, like the Moroccan Tawhid wal-Jihad and the GSPC, will use the melting pot in Iraq to mobilize the new armed front for al-Qaeda in North Africa.
Algeria Functions as a Major Nerve Center for the al-Qaeda Network and a Gateway to Europe
Taking the leadership role in the newly formed UAM, the GSPC has been tasked with organizing training camps in Algeria, making it the first stop for aspiring terrorists and suicide bombers who are seeking a one-way ticket to Iraq. Having pledged its allegiance to al-Qaeda last September , the GSPC continues to demonstrate its crystal clear message of pursuing a pure Islamic Umma by serving as the nerve center for al-Qaeda. Training, weapons materials, and logistical support?including intelligence–are all accessible through the GSPC, making it the gateway to terrorist networks in Europe and North Africa.
The UAM has constructed its game plan in accordance with al-Qaeda?s network capacities. Since the GSPC has proved to be better equipped and more widely connected throughout Europe than most other terrorist groups, it maintains the function of gatekeeper into and within the European arena. Dismantling the GSPC is quintessential for the effective breakdown of the UAM.
North African Governments vs. Islamists Ideology
According to local Moroccan media sources, authorities have recently intercepted a telephone conversation between an Islamist in Morocco and a Moroccan national in Syria discussing a plan to travel to Algeria, where they would receive advance training from expert GSPC instructors. The two Moroccans mentioned their desire to establish an official joint al-Qaeda network covering all of North Africa.
The Moroccan Tawhid wal-Jihad terrorist cell disrupted in Casablanca in late November is a good example of the government?s willingness to exterminate the extremists. A large disruption of a major network cell should slow down the new group?s operational power. However, the governments in North Africa are burdened with the responsibility of disclosing every intelligence interception and cooperating with international demands in the counter-terrorism effort.
Governments, like Libya’s, that are coming out of a transitional period, trying to conform to international standards, will continue to face and withstand intense scrutiny in order to be a team player in the global war against terror. This will be increasingly more challenging for North African countries, as they must fight conflicting Islamist ideologies within their own borders. State and regional stability are likely to be threatened as governments continue to butt heads with al-Qaeda loyalists and followers. Thwarting terrorist plots and disrupting cells, at least on a quasi-consistent basis, will assist in illustrating the countries? dedication and commitment to the cause. North African countries will likely turn to more severe counter-terrorism measures in order to keep in line with the international expectation that has been placed upon them.
