Continuing to increase its presence in North Africa. This emerging jihadist stronghold should be of particular concern to European countries on the other side of the Mediterranean, lest they find themselves with a second “Al-Qaeda Pipeline” (if “construction” isn’t underway already).
“Al Qaeda north African wing claims Algeria bombs,” from Reuters, August 21:
LONDON (Reuters) – Al Qaeda’s north African wing has claimed responsibility for two car bombs in Algeria which killed 12 people and wounded 42 this week, the Al Jazeera television network said on Thursday.
Wednesday’s bombings at Bouira, 90 km (56 miles) southeast of Algiers, were claimed on behalf of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in an audio recording by a group official called Salah Abu Mohammad, the Arabic broadcaster said.
They followed a spate of attacks by the group, including a bombing on Tuesday that killed 48 people and ambushes on Sunday that killed 11.
The group, known until last year as Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, has claimed several earlier attacks including the twin suicide bombings of U.N. offices and a court building in Algiers in December 2007.
The urban bombings reflect new tactics first adopted in 2007 by the militants fighting to set up purist Islamic rule in the North African country, a key oil and gas supplier to Europe….