I just tried to find Amkizi on IGN 200k (old) map. Nothing there, only Amsel village fits the distance, just off the TSH. To the SW only rock and rubble, but maybe that's the point.

In March (was it?) we read of an AQIM cell dug out of Abalessa village not far NW of Tam. If, as the report says, they're after raiding military bases, Tam would be a great but pretty bold place to do it. Every other compound there seems to be a base of some sort.

You'd think the bases at Bordj Moktar, Tim Missao or IGZ would be easier targets to hit and run. Maybe Tam was planned as a suicide job, as they tried in Nema last year.

But from what's reported I do get the impression the Alg army is on the case in the south.

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

If they would only be 'on the case' south of the border as well.
Good piece in Jeune Afrique Le Mali en simple spectateur | Jeuneafrique.com - le premier site d'information et d'actualit� sur l'Afrique
It is incredible how the beards can set up a base 400 kms from Bamako and when the Mauri/Mali armies are prepared to attack beards were tipped off by Mali. Finally Mauri went alone, waiting a couple of weeks, telling the Malians only hours before the strike.
It would be much more simple to attack the camps from the air, and drones would be even more effective than in Pakistan, don't you think? It would save on time, material, personnel and public opinion would love it - or?
Drones may be on the table AFP: AFRICOM commander praises Mauritania in Al-Qaeda fight
also AQIM on Mauritania/Mali Fighting
AQIM: Western-Sahelian Cooperation Deepening � Sahel Blog

Mauretanian army recruiting pilots and receiving aircraft (Brazilian Tucanos) from France.
Mauritania boosts counter-terror capacities (Magharebia.com)
Mauritanian air force seeks new pilots (Magharebia.com)

before we proceed to nukes, here some interesting reading
http://www.kidal.info/docs/War-on-Terror-JCAS.pdf

BBC News - Kebbi kidnap: Video 'shows men captured in Nigeria'

Has anybody seen any articles about the Brit and Italian kidnapped in Northern Nigeria recently? Did AQIM or Boko Haram admit any involvement? This story seems to have gone quiet.

Algeria's reticence dogs fight against al-Qaeda: experts
"several delegates to the Bamako meeting, requesting anonymity, told AFP that they considered Algeria was to blame for this lack of action.

A delegate from Niger noted that "the Algerian army, on its own, has more resources than the armies of Niger, Mali and Mauritania" put together, adding that, "I don't understand why they don't venture on to the terrain to help us fight against AQIM."
A diplomat, also from Niger, said that "the budget of the Algerian army is six times bigger than the national budget of a country like Mauritania. The ball is in Algeria's camp.""....
"Algeria doesn't need our green light to step in. It should do it straight away, especially since the Islamists come from Algeria.""

I also read something along these lines in the last day or so and - assuming you take it at face value - have not seen it put so bluntly before.

It takes you all the way back to the explanation for 2003 (though not necessarily all the kidnappings which followed).

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Al Qaeda retreats from west Mali camps -military sources | News by Country | Reuters

didn't see any alkaida while in & around Timbuktu a few days ago

Moro you need to drive with your eyes open ;o)

Meanwhile, Aqim may be involved with Boko Haram in Nigeria, who is now resorting to AQ style suicide bombings. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/af....un/index.html

Touareg rebellion leader Ag Bahanga was first reported to have returned from Libya (where he spent two years with Khadaffi army) with 50+ military vehicles.

Then he was reported killed under not very clear circumstances on Friday
Inquiétude sur des stocks d’armes - International - El Watan a car accident?
Ennahar Online - Mali: death of Ibrahim ag Bahanga, the most radical of the Tuareg rebels
AFP: Radical Tuareg rebel chief dies in Mali
http://www.letempsdz.com/content/view/61665/1/
http://af.reuters.com/article/nigerN...nnel=0&sp=true
http://www.pressafrik.com/Au-Mali-pl...ga_a65818.html

Two articles by Salima Tlemcani in El Watan
http://www.elwatan.com//internationa...137980_112.php
"With his most faithful, he was on Friday in his stronghold in Tinassalak when he had this information that, two all-terrain vehicles, on board a large quantity of arms, had crossed the Libyan border. They were heading for the Timbuktu region, known as the stronghold of AQIM and smugglers.
"It was mid-afternoon. Bahanga took his Toyota station and embarked on their research. He would not move the whole group, preferring to verify this information. A few tens of kilometers, it has actually risen in the footsteps of his two vehicles intercepted. The occupants are young people in the region, including the son of a deputy. They would not tell him the weapons were destined. He ordered them to hand them over. We do not know what happened thereafter.

When we noticed that Ibrahim had not returned and his phone did not answer, we went looking for him. We found his vehicle overturned and his left side hit by bullets fired by a Seminov. Have they killed him and simulated an accident? We do not know. We are investigating this matter and we do not want it to be used to carry out retaliatory actions. It is too early to act, "reveals our interlocutor. In any case, the suspicious death of rebel leader comes at a crucial time for the people of northern Mali."
Other sources points to his taking a stand for the libyan opposition leading to him being murdered by Gadaffi loyalists or the Algerian DRS http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=80249
some even says he drove onto one of his own mines http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=80237&intr=
which sounds highly unlikely - wishful thinking from Bamako.
He did apparently give an interview just hours before his death, where he denounced Qadaffi
http://www.elwatan.com/entretien/aqm...137982_121.php
He speaks well here, but doesn't exclude taking up arms yet again.

Let's hope this works out
Mali seeks development to counter al-Qaeda (Magharebia.com)
http://sahelblog.wordpress.com/2011/...rism-and-aqim/

[QUOTE=priffe;347267]Moro you need to drive with your eyes open ;o)

1. I do drive around with my eyes open - don't know the area THAT well even though it's been 9 months now on this last trip
2. as it seems Bahanga (yet another alkajda boogie-woogie-man?) was driving around with his eyes wide shut
3. the venerable third way is your type of couch potatoe alkajda paranoia disseminator

Try downtown Kiruna (Sweden) on a friday night instead

Guys - this is a serious thread on a nicely mannered forum. There are plenty of places to write abuse on the internet. This isn't one of them.