Good and Evil in North Africa
Just a couple of quick stories before I head to work.
First, CNN ran a Reuters article about Mauritania that basically passes for decent journalism. It discusses last year's coup (it's hard to believe that it's been a year since Vall and his team deposed Taya), Mauritania's goals, challenges, and advantages. It's definitely worth having a look at.
According to the BBC, Ayman al-Zwahiri has released a statement claiming that the Egyptian militant group Gamaa Islamiya has formed an alliance with al Qaeda. Now, folks who follow terrorism know that al Qaeda itself is less a massive formal organization than it is an informal alliance of a lot of smaller groups. According to the article, Gamaa Islamiya basically went defunct a few years ago; it was responsible for several acts of violence against Westerners in Egypt during the 1990's, but apparently it dissolved and the leadership renounced violence years ago. Also, I've heard of the Indonesian group Jemaah Islamiya in Indonesia, but I was unaware of this Egyptian group. THe whole thing suggests to me that al Qaeda is getting more and more desperate for allies, to the point that they'll turn to largely defunct groups of local/regional militants for support. That's my take on the subject; I'd have to research a bit more to say for sure.
Right then, time to get ready for work.
First, CNN ran a Reuters article about Mauritania that basically passes for decent journalism. It discusses last year's coup (it's hard to believe that it's been a year since Vall and his team deposed Taya), Mauritania's goals, challenges, and advantages. It's definitely worth having a look at.
According to the BBC, Ayman al-Zwahiri has released a statement claiming that the Egyptian militant group Gamaa Islamiya has formed an alliance with al Qaeda. Now, folks who follow terrorism know that al Qaeda itself is less a massive formal organization than it is an informal alliance of a lot of smaller groups. According to the article, Gamaa Islamiya basically went defunct a few years ago; it was responsible for several acts of violence against Westerners in Egypt during the 1990's, but apparently it dissolved and the leadership renounced violence years ago. Also, I've heard of the Indonesian group Jemaah Islamiya in Indonesia, but I was unaware of this Egyptian group. THe whole thing suggests to me that al Qaeda is getting more and more desperate for allies, to the point that they'll turn to largely defunct groups of local/regional militants for support. That's my take on the subject; I'd have to research a bit more to say for sure.
Right then, time to get ready for work.
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