al-Qaeda Islamic Maghreb

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Tourist Kidnapped by al-Qaeda Freed 6 Years Later

Swede Johan Gustafsson had been held in Mali

(Newser) - A Swedish man kidnapped by Islamic militants in northern Mali nearly six years ago has been released from captivity, the Swedish government confirmed Monday. There was no immediate word on the fate of a second hostage, from South Africa, who was also seized in Timbuktu. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom...

In Northern Mali, al-Qaeda Building Its Own Country

Extremist groups took over the area after coup

(Newser) - Since the military coup in Mali earlier this year, al-Qaeda's influence in the African nation has increased—to the point that northern Mali, the largest territory held by the terror group, is now basically al-Qaeda's own country. The AP takes an extensive look, describing the elaborate series of...

How CIA's 94 Words on Benghazi Got It So Wrong

'WSJ' looks at how the CIA's consulate-attack talking points came to be

(Newser) - The Wall Street Journal today takes a look at the life and death of 94 little words: the heavily edited and ultimately faulty Benghazi talking points compiled by the CIA in the wake of the consulate attack.
  • Just a day after the attack, the CIA's reports were already referencing
...

Suspected Leader of Libya Attack Still at Large

Libyan security officials say Ahmed Abu Khattalah was at the scene: WSJ

(Newser) - Libyan security officials say Ahmed Abu Khattalah, founder of Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia , was at the US consulate in Libya during the attack that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens—the most direct link between the militia and the attack so far, though officials have been focusing on Ansar al-Sharia for a...

Hillary Clinton: al-Qaeda Behind Libya Attack

Sources say US intelligence knew that 'within 24 hours'

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton appeared to draw a line from al-Qaeda to the attack on the US consulate in Libya yesterday, further complicating the administration's somewhat muddled account of events. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and "other violent extremists" are trying to "undermine the democratic transitions under way in...

Routed Elsewhere, al-Qaeda Thrives in Sahara

Terror group's move into Africa mirrors old Afghanistan strategy

(Newser) - Al-Qaeda may be on its last legs in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan , but the extremist group is doing better than ever in Africa, growing steadily since 2006—thanks to good community relations and steady handouts of cash, candy, medical aid, and other necessities, reports the AP . Al-Qaeda in...

Hostages Killed During Niger Rescue Mission

French President Sarkozy calls kidnapping 'barbaric act'

(Newser) - Two French citizens kidnapped in Niger's capital on Friday night were apparently killed by their captors during an attempted rescue, CNN reports. Two French soldiers involved in the raid were injured and "many terrorists were killed," said a statement by the French Defense Ministry yesterday, which blamed the...

Al Qaeda Beheads French Aid Worker
Al-Qaeda Beheads
French
Aid Worker
Jul 27, 2010 6:00 AM CDT

Al-Qaeda Beheads French Aid Worker

Furious Sarkozy vows revenge

(Newser) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy has vowed to avenge the death of a 78-year-old French aid worker beheaded by al-Qaeda's North African wing. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb says it executed Michel Germaneau in retaliation for the death of six militants when French commandos raided a camp in Mali in an...

Al-Qaeda Linked to 'Air Cocaine' Network

Rogue trans-Atlantic aviation set-up sparks security fears

(Newser) - A rogue aviation network with links to al-Qaeda has security analysts seriously worried. The network, believed to consist of at least 10 aircraft, including several Boeing 727s, transports huge amounts of cocaine from South America to West African smugglers who slip it into Europe. Islamic militant groups in Africa reap...

Black Death Wipes Out al-Qaeda Camp in Algeria

Bubonic plague wiped out 40 recruits at Algerian base

(Newser) - Bubonic plague is believed to have wiped out dozens of al-Qaeda recruits at a terror training camp in Algeria, the Daily Mail reports. The epidemic came to light when security forces found a militant's diseased body dumped on a roadside. Security sources say the plague forced the group to turn...

Al Qaeda Claims Algeria Bombings
Al Qaeda
Claims Algeria Bombings
Aug 22, 2008 9:50 AM CDT

Al Qaeda Claims Algeria Bombings

North African branch releases audio tape taking credit

(Newser) - The North African branch of al-Qaeda has claimed it was behind a pair of car bombs in Algeria that killed 12 this week, al-Jazeera reports. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb issued an audio recording of an official announcing responsibility for the attacks. The bombings were the latest in a series...

Algiers Searches for Missing
Algiers Searches for Missing
Dec 12, 2007 8:44 AM CST

Algiers Searches for Missing

Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for twin blasts that killed dozens

(Newser) - Rescuers worked though the night to locate missing UN workers and others trapped in the rubble left by yesterday's twin car bombs in Algiers, which a North African group linked to al-Qaeda claims to have detonated. Death counts vary, but the UN estimates that 45 were killed, including a dozen...

Al Qaeda Expands With "Corporate Takeovers"

Gives groups arms, training, and support

(Newser) - Al Qaeda is expanding its size and abilities through "corporate-style takeovers" of regional extremist groups—offering arms, training, and support in return for allegiance. Analysts say this expansion represents a huge threat to the West, as the terrorist organization gains thousands of willing foot soldiers.  "They are...

Al-Qaeda Claims Algeria Attacks
Al-Qaeda Claims Algeria Attacks
Sep 9, 2007 4:44 AM CDT

Al-Qaeda Claims Algeria Attacks

North African group says it launched suicide bombings that killed 50

(Newser) - An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed responsibility for bombings that claimed more than 50 lives in Algeria in the last two days. The group, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, took credit for the attacks in an Internet statement , BBC reports. An explosives-laden truck drove into a naval barracks in a port...

Bombers Hit Algerian Capital
Bombers Hit Algerian Capital
Apr 11, 2007 11:50 AM CDT

Bombers Hit Algerian Capital

(Newser) - Two bombs, including one targeting the prime minister's office, killed at least 23 people in Algiers today, in the latest in a round of suspected Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror attacks that have rocked North Africa in recent weeks, the New York Times reports.

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