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Islamist activity in the Sahara in relation to travel security Islamist activity in the Sahara in relation to travel security
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Photo by Lois Pryce, schoolkids in Algeria

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Photo of Lois Pryce, UK
and schoolkids in Algeria



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 22 Apr 2010
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Algerian major counter-terrorism offensive
Alg army strikes.
Sahel-Sahara military leaders discuss joint security efforts (Magharebia.com)

Quote:
...Liberté called the "Ennasr" (Victory) offensive Algeria's largest anti-terror military operation since the 2005 Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation.

On Tuesday, local sources in the wilayas of Bouira and Bordj Bou Arreridj told Magharebia that the offensive had "neutralised" around a dozen terrorists. They also said that a key AQIM leader, Abdelmalek Droukdel, appeared to be among the terrorists hemmed in by the soldiers.

A number of other terrorist groups are also believed to have been cornered, according to the sources, and significant military reinforcements have been deployed in all parts of Algeria's eastern, western and central regions.

According to Liberté, security forces have gathered important intelligence regarding terrorist movements. The operation being carried out between Bouira and Bordj Bou Arreridj was made possible by intelligence gleaned from a recently-disbanded terrorist support network.
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Old 22 Apr 2010
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The military training in Burkina Faso, the armies of the countries of West Africa, within the framework of the fight against terrorism, began yesterday. These military endorsement that were planned to start at the beginning of next May, began early, at the request of the United States for unknown reasons. Moreover, what is surprising is that the early training coincided with the same day of the creation of the General Staff of the Sahel countries combined in Tamanrasset.
El Khabar - Mouvement américain au Sahel parallèlement �* la réunion de Tamanrasset

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Quote:
Ag Hama Sid Ahmed. Spokesman of the Tuareg in northern Mali: "The impasse leads us to reorganize militarily"
mercredi 21 avril 2010 Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Issikta - Hama Ag Sid Ahmed. Porte-parole des Touareg du Nord-Mali : « L’impasse nous pousse �* nous réorganiser militairement »

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Ulrich
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Old 22 Apr 2010
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A very interesting read from the Touareg perspective. Thanks Ulrich
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Old 24 Apr 2010
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The heads of state of major countries of the Sahel, comprising Algeria, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad have decided at their last meeting held in Tamanrasset, increase the number of actual forces responsible the fight against terrorism 25-75000 components, within 18 months. According to informed sources, the heads of major states have agreed to strengthen security measures and control over drug trafficking, fuel and other devices used by terrorists, like GPS, adding that military units will be established across several strategic sites scattered across the Sahara. Their main mission is the monitoring of slopes Saharan and substitute the inability of air forces in Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.
El Khabar - Les forces de lutte contre le terrorisme au Sahel s’élèvent �* 75 mille éléments

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Old 25 Apr 2010
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AlJazeera reporting YouTube - Sahara states counter al-Qaeda threat

Pst Chris/Richard - the YouTube tags doesn't seem to work??
Last edited by priffe; 26 Apr 2010 at 13:53.
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Old 25 Apr 2010
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Fight against terrorism in the Sahel: The Military Command based in Tamanrasset

The Committee Staff Joint Operational between Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger will be installed today in Tamanrasset.
Announced by a statement from the Department of National Defence, the creation of this committee was determined after the meeting of army chiefs of Mauritania, Algeria, Mali and Niger, in Tamanrasset, held 12 and August 13, 2009, in order to "coordinate" the operations against terrorist groups operating in border regions.
Issikta -Touaregs/Bruxelles - Sahara: Lutte contre le terrorisme au Sahel : Le commandement militaire basé �* Tamanrasset

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Quote:
The United States and the African Union want to deepen their ties

The meeting between the U.S. and Africa, with the objective of strengthening peace and security in the continent, has been marked by the convergence of views on both sides on many issues, such as development, global warming and the fight against terrorism including through the refusal to pay ransom because they are a means of financing terrorism.
LIBERTE - Les États-Unis et l'Union africaine veulent approfondir leurs liens

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Old 25 Apr 2010
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AQIM Four groups
In the Issikta article cited by Ulrich it is also mentioned that
"...one month after the announcement in Sirte, Libya, following a meeting which was attended by Algeria, Mali, Niger and Libya, setting up a joint force of 25,000 men, including 5,000 Malian Tuareg, charged with hunting down terrorists."
The announced size of the force is impressive, and the integration of Malian touaregs seems a key factor to success. This is where the Mali government have repeatedly failed, integrating touaregs in the army and power structure in general. Which is of course also a failure of the touaregs. Takes two to tango.
Now Malian touaregs will work out of Tam? Interesting.
The ability to work across the borders should make a difference.

The Issikta blog also reports that AQIM in the desert consists of around 470 individuals divided into three fractions, led by MBM, Abu Zeid and the latter's deputy Abu Zahia forming the third unit with around 20 people. Centered in the regions of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal respectively.
This rhymes with what I have been told elsewhere and also read here before.
Issikta also writes that Abu Zeid is weak and unable to perform many kidnappings, and that MBM is behind mosy of them, including the proposed one near Niger/Alg border Wednesday evening.

However.

Journal Tahalil like the other magazines/newspapers etc like El Watan or El Khabar rely on specific sources (often it seems only one or a few nameless individuals) leading to a dizzying multitude of accounts of what is really going on.

In this article :::Journal Tahalil Hebdo::: concerning the kidnapping in Niger of one French and one Algerian, they suggest that there are four distinct groups within AQIM in the desert
Al Ansar
Tariq
El Moulethemine
El Vourghane

Quote:
The armed group called "Al Ansar" and sign its first constitution after its removal mid-2009, we learn generally well informed source. The other three groups AQIM ("Tariq", "El Moulethemine" and "El Vourghane"), had all the past-and-operated in this kidnapping, directly or indirectly. El Vourghane "headed by" Abu Yahya Al Hamam "held recently released the Italians against the likely payment of a" ransom raised to 8 million euros due to the Mauritanian authorities refused to release their comrades held in Mauritania, "reveals our source.
And according to El Khabar
Quote:
"Katibat Taregh ibn Ziyad" , "Katibat El Moulethemine " , " El Seriyatt Vourghane " and "Ansar Al Seriyatt" form combat units in the emirate of Sahara (Imaratou Are sahra) of Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in South Zone: the Sahara-Sahel , which stretches north-east of Mauritania until the... Somalia ....Hamid Essouffi is involved in several attacks that have targeted military Mauritanian Lemghetiy to Ghallawiya ; and Tourine where he ordered the beheading of Mauritanian soldiers murdered.
=11&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=37794&tx_ttnews[backPid]=81&cHash=0711e6824b]Mauritanie : Selon «El Khabar»: L’Emir de «Katibate Taregh ibn Ziyad» a été blessé.

The suicide bomber of the French embassy in Nouakchott 2009 is said to have belonged to El Vourghane. News from Algeria 2009

I'll post this now and add to or edit it later as I have time to read more, if you allow it.
It would be interesting to have these four groups pinned to certain individuals and geographical areas.
Last edited by priffe; 26 Apr 2010 at 01:55.
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