Posted on 01/16/2013 10:47:03 AM PST by kristinn
The Obama administration is condemning an Islamist attack on a natural gas field in southern Algeria and confirming that Americans are among those being held hostage.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters in Italy that Americans were among the hostages and called the incident a "terrorist attack."
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...
https://
www.cimicweb.org/cmo/ComplexCoverage/Documents/Reports/rT002_Al_Qaeda_and_African%20Arc_of_Instability_%2817-Dec-12%29.pdf
http://
www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/Libya_Sahel_Security_Workshop.pdf
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allafrica.com/stories/201212310063.html
Moroccan American Center for Policy (Washington, DC)
“North Africa: New Studies Warn Mali Crisis, Al-Qaeda Driving ‘Arc of Instability’ Across Africa”
29 DECEMBER 2012
SNIPPET: “Washington — Two new studies report that “the growing role of al-Qaeda across northern Africa,” fueled by the Mali crisis and Libyan arms influx, is creating an ‘Arc of Instability’ across Africa’s Sahel that poses an “acute threat” to countries in the region and to Europe and the US.
The studies — by NATO Allied Command’s Civil-Military Fusion Centre, “Al Qaeda and the African Arc of Instability,” and CNA Strategic Studies, “Security Challenges in Libya and the Sahel” — also cite or link to evidence of ties to al-Qaeda groups by members from the Polisario-run refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria.”
Page 2 - SNIPPET: “The NATO CFC study says “Jihadists and other militants thrive in power vacuums, especially in areas where there are large numbers of accessible weapons, such as in Libya, Mali and Syria.
In North Africa, militant Muslims and Islamists have taken advantage of recent upheavals thereby thriving and growing in influence, creating what is now being referred to as an ‘Arc of Instability’ that stretches from the coast of West Africa across the Sahel region into the Horn of Africa.” The study, which links to an earlier report by the International Center for Terrorism Studies, says that “On the African continent, ties between radical groups Boko Haram, al Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and its offshoots - the Unity Movement for Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and Ansar Dine - are becoming stronger; as are ties with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen.””
TOTALLY OFF TOPIC, old news and Al-Qaeda is a global jihad...
Speaking of AQIM and AQAP...
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/aqim/index
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/aqap/index
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2866510/posts
Spanish Police Arrests an Al Qaeda Suspect
(AP) via FOX NEWS.com ^ | March 27, 2012 | n/a
Posted on March 31, 2012 4:44:57 PM PDT by Cindy
SNIPPET: “MADRID – Spanish police on Tuesday arrested a suspected member of Al Qaeda who was key to the terror group’s Internet propaganda and recruiting operations, officials said.
The suspect arrested in the eastern city of Valencia “administered one of the world’s most important jihadist forums”, dedicated to recruiting and indoctrinating Islamic terrorists, Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz said.
The name of that forum and the suspect’s name were not given, only his initials, M.H.A. He is Jordanian-born with Saudi citizenship.”
SNIPPET: “The suspect worked at home “8 to 15 hours a day” for al-Qaida and for two offshoots, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the minister said.”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
~
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2733760/posts
“Red Lines”
INTERNET-HAGANAH.com ^ | June 12, 2011 | INTERNET-HAGANAH.com
Well now, I’m still waiting for the “proper response” to the dead and injured Americans in the Benghazi attack.
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http://www.voanews.com/content/panetta-vows-proper-response-to-algeria-hostage-taking/1585421.html
“Panetta Vows ‘Proper’ Response to Algeria Hostage-Taking”
by Al Pessin
January 16, 2013
SNIPPET: “LONDON — U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has condemned the taking of as many as 41 foreign hostages at a natural gas facility in Algeria, a move apparently linked to the French military operation in neighboring Mali.”
SNIPPET: “Speaking in Rome, Panetta said he did not know how many Americans are among the hostages.
But a spokesman for the al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb militant group told VOA there are seven American hostages, and that the United States will “face the consequences” if it tries to help France in its military operation against the group in Mali.”
"She was wearing a short skirt, she was asking to be raped."
Another Blame America Firster.
“I’d rather follow Moe, Larry, and Curly in to battle than this bunch of slugs!”
At least then you would know someone was going to get the snot slapped out of them.
Here is a link with a very long article sourced from Reuters, and a number of other north African and European sources. There are also some very good comments with detailed information and links. [Don’t reject just because it comes from Huff Post.] Only a few of the hostages were American, there are at least 7 to 10 other foreign nationalities at risk, not to mention hundreds of Algerians. Also this situation is linked with the French activity in Mali and does not appear to have any direct US link.
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