Report: Iraq-Based Jihadists Seek to Expand War to North Africa

Counterrorism ^ | November 23, 2006 | Evan Kohlmann

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

According to reports in Arab media, personnel from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) visited the Moroccan city of Rabat last week to investigate an apparent increase in the number of Moroccan mujahideen volunteers traveling to Iraq in order to join Al-Qaida. CIA officials allegedly scheduled the visit after Moroccan intelligence services presented them with the names of two young men from the northern Moroccan town of Tetouan who had recently executed suicide bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Reportedly, the men were accompanied on their journey to Iraq by at least seven other would-be jihadist companions from their neighborhood in Tetouan (who remain at large).

The Moroccan government has grave concerns that elements from the nascent Moroccan Tawhid wal-Jihad Movement and the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC) are intent upon using the cauldron in Iraq to mobilize a new armed front for Al-Qaida in North Africa. Local media also reports that Moroccan authorities have recently intercepted a telephone conversation between a militant inside Morocco and another Moroccan national hiding in Syria. The two men discussed a plan to travel to Algeria in order to receive advanced training from veteran GSPC instructors and to establish an official joint Al-Qaida branch covering all of North Africa.

November 23, 2006 10:47 AM  

[hophead]

Oh come on. This can't be. The dems who just won the election keep saying there is no "war on terror".

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So recruitment is expanding....Iraq is the central front,...why should be leave.....?

[Txsleuth]

Oh, dear....a telephone conversation listened to, that is not good....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Confusion is everywhere it seems...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Moroccan authorities have recently intercepted a telephone conversation

It wasn't us....so that is OK isn't it?

[Txsleuth]

I don't know...you might need to ask Specter or Leahy...they are the "experts" on such things.../s

[Nathan Zachary]

I guess they don't have an "MCLU" in Morroco.

[Allegra]

Well, they're encouraged by all the "cut and run" talk, I suppose.

People just don't realize what ramifications there are when they go spouting off about that.

[rjp2005]

Strafor reported this earlier that these groups have actually consolidated under the "The Union of the Arab Maghreb" as they are calling it.

They're seeking a pan-North African allegiance from Morroco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt across to Iraq.

[olde north church]

Strafor reported this earlier that these groups have actually consolidated under the "The Union of the Arab Maghreb" as they are calling it.

They're seeking a pan-North African allegiance from Morroco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt across to Iraq.

I feel like such the visionary. It was only 20 years ago when I began saying we should start round the clock bombing runs starting in Morocco ending in Malaysia with every surplus shell, bomb or bullet we could scrounge up. We could call it victory are about oh another 25-30 years. We won't do it though. We "just don't do those things."

[olde north church]

----

[GoldwaterChick]

How could it be? The time on this post is 4:03 p.m. PST--I'm in Philadelphia and it's 4:09 p.m. EST. Methinks there is a bit of confusion on the thread.

[Marine_Uncle]

It does appear that these goons groups continue to recruit.
I do hope the IG realize that the US forces have to be able to protect themselves. And in doing so, should be allow to start so very heavy duty missions against any known groups assembling in Iraq.
This crap of letting known or even suspect groups to operate anywhere in the country is for the birds. Surely there have to be many sources that can pick up the telephone and say where a group is hiding/operating out of.
Maliki and crew must understand the US cannot stay in the country if we are not allowed to eliminate enemies of the IG , people at large, and US/Coalition forces. Now December is quickly approaching. I wonder if we shall see any comments made by US ground commanders soon as to where the Iraqis stand regarding the list of benchmarks they have agreed to act upon.

[rjp2005]

We don't have a "do whatever we want military without consequence" - that would be a world dictatorship. History is unfolding as it has been allowed to, and though we have been most powerful lately, we are not ALL-powerful.

North Africa and the Middle East will be allowed to coalesce into a union of militant states as a chastisement to formerly Christian Europe and us in a more limited way. Saints have prophesied about it for centuries.

Europe will emerge from the years of war and occupation a renewed Christian nation.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

T'is...

.."EL-CID".. Redux all over again,

...1,000 years later.


Don't miss 1961's magnificient motion picture Epic...

.."EL CID"..

Starring CHARLETON HESTON as the warrior "King" who singlehandedly banded the warring villages of a then baby Spain together as a brand new nation to repel invading Moors/Muslims streaming across the underbelly of Europe from North Africa bent on conquering all.

Worked then.

Redux now..?

.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

T'is...

.."EL-CID".. Redux all over again,

...1,000 years later.


Don't miss 1961's magnificient motion picture Epic...

.."EL CID"..

Starring CHARLETON HESTON as the warrior "King" who singlehandedly banded the warring villages of a then baby Spain together as a brand new nation to repel invading Moors/Muslims streaming across the underbelly of Europe from North Africa bent on conquering all.

Worked then.

Redux now..?

.

[EGPWS]

Iraq-Based Jihadists Seek to Expand War to North Africa

Well, North Africa IS part of the globe isn't it?

[rjp2005]

You got it - Daniel calls him the He-Goat and also the lion with wings.

The militant Mahdists are in for a real surprise. The guy they're waiting for is actually the one who will lead the fight to overcome them! That'll teach em for trying to co-opt other people's prophecies lol.

[gatorbait]

God ,I hope not. Morocco is a super ally and the King is staunchly pro US . Moroccans are great people , absolutely super . They do nothing to deserve another Mrxist based group of nihilists to come attack them