FEBRUARY 2004 : (MALI & NIGER : GSPC [Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat] IS EXPANDING, INCREASING ITS ACTIVITIES IN MALI AND NIGER IN RECENT MONTHS — See URANIUM, YELLOWCAKE) ——— “Small groups become wider terror threat,” By Raymond Bonner and Don Van Natta Jr., NEW YORK TIMES, via contracostatimes, Posted on Sun, Feb. 08, 2004
MARCH 7, 2004 : (AL QAEDA HAS AN INTEREST IN NORTH AFRICA; US SPECIAL FORCES ARE EITHER IN, OR DUE TO ARRIVE IN MAURITANIA, MALI, CHAD & NIGER) — “US sends special forces into north Africa: Pentagon fears growth of terrorist haven,” by Giles Tremlett, The Guardian (U.K.) , 03/15/04