The Bin Laden of the Sahara

[nomo]

I hadn't heard of this guy. Is he being set up to be the new patsy? I certainly come away from reading the article that there are indeed large numbers of real jihadists out there, willing AND able to carry out attacks without any outside "help."<br><br>Part One of Two: Hunting Ammari Saifi<br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0604,khatchadourian,71894,6.html">www.villagevoice.com/news...894,6.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>However, this BBC article from September 2004 claims Saifi has been arrested:<br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3726005.stm">news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3726005.stm</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=nomo@rigorousintuition>nomo</A> at: 1/26/06 1:00 pm<br></i>

[albion]

Thanks for that, nomo. This guy might still be in custody, I'm not sure. But your intuition may be correct. Check out this article, which suggests that elements in the Algerian military are manipulating Saifi's organization, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in North Africa:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>El Para, the Maghreb’s Bin Laden<br><br>The mysterious El Para affair in Algeria may prove that the Maghreb has become a target for the United States in its military and political redeployments. Could the Algerian government be arranging events, such as the kidnapping of foreign tourists in the Sahara and inventing its own Osama bin Laden, to capture Washington’s attention and ensure attendant arms sales?<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://mondediplo.com/2005/02/04algeria">mondediplo.com/2005/02/04algeria</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>btw, "El Para" = Ammari Saifi. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=albion@rigorousintuition>albion</A> at: 1/26/06 7:41 pm<br></i>

[Iroquois]

From Part One of Two: Hunting Ammari Saifi:<br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>American Navy P-3 Orion reconnaissance aircraft, dispatched from Italy, tracked Saifi's movements, and U.S. "military experts," according to a local press report, conducted operations on the ground.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>If the US military can follow him around with spy planes, he can be taken out at their leisure. A small convoy of pickups in the desert is an easy target for a couple of modern combat aircraft. And, those .50 cal's would provide a completely useless defense.<br><br>More from the same article:<br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Saifi’s activities were the central and most vivid justification for expanding the U.S. military presence in the Sahel.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Enough said. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=iroquois@rigorousintuition>Iroquois</A> at: 1/26/06 8:08 pm<br></i>

[nomo]

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>Part Two of Two is now online:<br></em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br>Part Two: Arming the 'Camel Corps'<br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://villagevoice.com/news/0605,khatchadourian,71993,6.html#part2">villagevoice.com/news/060...html#part2</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br> <p></p><i></i>