Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) (International), GROUPS - INTERNATIONAL - ACTIVE

Overview
AQIM continues to pose a daily threat to the lives of Algerian security and government personnel and foreign workers in spite of the government's ongoing counter-terrorism campaign and their associated claims of success. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has dismissed AQIM's recent attacks as a sign of desperation from an organisation that has been battered by his security services and military. In practice, the Algerian government has often overstated their success. The combination of AQIM's enhanced profile through its association with Al-Qaeda, and the GSPC's well-established infrastructure and training apparatus, has helped transform AQIM into an important regional threat. The kidnapping of two Austrian tourists in February 2008 in Tunisia, two shootings in Mauritania and emerging numbers of fighters joining AQIM from places such as Mauritania, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Nigeria and Mali illustrates the group's regional ambitions. Furthermore, AQIM leader, Abdelmalek Droukdel, claimed in a 14 June 2010 interview with al-Jazeera that he planned to forge links with the Nigerian Boko Haram movement in order to grant Al-Qaeda "strategic depth" in sub-Saharan Africa and to "defend Muslims in Nigeria and stop the advance of a minority of Crusaders." The interview followed a February 2010 promise to offer arms and training to Boko Haram. While an offshore attack in Europe remains a possibility, this threat appears to have receded recently. Daniel Benjamin, the co-ordinator for counter-terrorism at the US State Department, told a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on 17 November 2009: "We currently view the near-term possibility of such expansion of operations as

Recent activities
AQIM has maintained a high operational tempo since its emergence under this name in January 2007, targeting the Algerian military and security services in non-suicidal ambushes, kidnappings, and bomb attacks. In addition, the group has claimed responsibility for carrying out a handful of suicide attacks. In August 2008, it was reportedly involved in nine separate attacks on a range of targets which resulted in nearly 80 people being killed and many hundreds injured. This was the highest monthly total of terrorist attacks in Algeria for many years. The three attacks over 19 and 20 August represented a violent escalation of AQIM's activities and this has led some commentators to suggest that insurgents returning from Iraq in the wake of the downturn in Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) operations have provided the capacity to 'surge' to a new level of attacks in Algeria. This suggestion has been dismissed by the Algerian authorities. In conducting this recent spate of attacks, AQIM has been careful to ensure that the timings and locations of the operations have minimised civilian casualties. AQIM are wary of repeating the mistakes made in Iraq when Abu Musab al-Zaqwari was trying to foster civil war through his protracted series of high profile attacks on the Shia population and their religious centres. AQIM have made reference in their news releases to their efforts to minimise civilian casualties, going so far as to label those killed unbelievers because they were shielding infidels (the implication being that by being where they were, they

The complete article appears in the following publication:
Publication Title	Jane's World Insurgency and Terrorism
Publication date	Mar 08, 2011
Section	GROUPS - INTERNATIONAL - ACTIVE
Publication synopsis	Jane's World Insurgency and Terrorism profiles every significant terrorist and insurgent movement worldwide with 'at-a-glance' summaries of threat levels, status, founding date, aims and objectives, and leadership. In-depth threat analyses focus on recent attacks, claims of responsibility, targeting and tactics, personnel and recruitment, operational preparedness and limiting factors. The portfolio of profiles for active groups is deepened as new groups emerge to provide the greatest level of coverage and analysis possible. Regular updates of the most active groups allow you to keep track of terrorist activity globally and ensure that notable shifts in doctrine, leadership and capabilities are captured.
In addition to a detailed threat assessment, group profiles also address	Sources of funding Alliances Sources of weapons Organisation and command structure Political and religious affiliation Propaganda techniques Leader biographies Overview of campaign
Different sections provide in-depth detail covering	Groups - Africa - Active Groups - Africa - Dormant Groups - Americas - Active Groups - Americas - Dormant Groups - Asia - Active Groups - Asia - Dormant Groups - Europe - Active Groups - Europe - Dormant Groups - International - Active Groups - Middle East - Active Groups - Middle East - Dormant

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