Times Online: Out of Africa: a growing threat to Europe from al-Qaeda's new allies - by David Sharrock
Out of Africa: a growing threat to Europe from al-Qaeda's new allies - by David Sharrock
Intelligence sources and Western diplomats have told The Times that a new force – an Algerian group calling itself al-Qaeda in the Land of Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) – aims to create an arc of influence throughout North Africa by spreading Osama bin Laden’s “brand” through a fusion of disparate fundamentalist groupings. Ernst Uhrlau, the head of the German foreign intelligence agency, said recently: “We are watching the activities of al-Qaeda in North Africa with great concern. A handful of groups have become ensconced there, largely unobserved, and are strengthening bin Laden’s terrorist network. What is evolving there brings a completely new quality to the jihad on our doorstep.” In Tunisia this week the French President echoed this nervousness. “Who could believe that if tomorrow, or after tomorrow, a Taleban-type regime were established in one of your countries in North Africa, Europe and France could feel secure?” President Sarkozy asked.
Note EU-Digest: It is amazing that most of these alarming reports about terrorism all seem to originate from conservative circles in the US, Britain,France and probably soon also Italy, after Berlusconi took power again. Fear mongering in these circles seems to be their hidden agenda to curb civil liberties and use force to establish a foothold in those countries which have large reserves of natural gas and oil. All we have to do is look at Iraq to see what arguments were used to attack that country and the results following the invasion. We were all fooled then, lets us not fall for the same nonsense again.
Labels: Africa, Conservatives, EU, Middle East, Terrorism
