Algeria: Al-Qaeda uses new recruited to protect its leaders

Recent terrorist attacks in the provinces of El Oued (south of Algiers ) and Jijel (east of Algiers) as well as the abduction of two Austrian tourists show a new strategy of the so-called Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. It is working on transferring its activities to eastern Algeria after the army tightened the nose on its main strongholds in the Kabylian region.

Security observers believe that Al-Qaeda’s new plan is meant for media propaganda and getting weapons and bombs support by reinforcing terrorist acts in the desert.

 In this regard, Abdelmalek Drudkel, the national leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb appointed his military advisor Yahia Djaouadi alias Abu Ammar to replace Mokhtar Belmokhtar alias Khaled Abu Abbas after he had withdrawn.

This plan is based on eastern provinces including Batna, Annaba, Jijel, Khenchla, Tebessa and El Oued where 7 border guards were killed by terrorists, according to observers.

They say Al-Qaeda command is adopting a strategy to face the repercussions of suicide attacks and military operations by using a new geographic map. It aims at attracting media attention and gain the trust of Ben Laden’s Al-Qaeda.

 It is believed that Drudkel is trying to recruit new members and assign them for terrorist attacks to protect the remaining terrorist leaders.

The strategy of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is working on keeping “money sources” within stringent security measures especially after attempts to kidnap contractors and businessmen failed.

 “Booties have been limited compared to increasing needs of the terrorist organization,” according to repentant and arrested terrorists. 

The ex-GSPC (the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat) is suffering from a financial crisis which it admitted by posting a call on the Internet to collect “charities”.

The appointment of Abu Ammar comes within the strategy of kidnapping tourists for collecting money as much as possible and investing it in purchasing weapons and bombs.

Abu Ammar was said being behind an attack on an airport in southern Algeria in November 2007 and the killing of 4 Mauritanian soldiers in December as well as an attack on Israel’s embassy in February. All of these attacks are still ambiguous as there has been no evidence to prove Al-Qaeda’s responsibility for them.

 Yahia Djaouadi alias Yahia Abu Ammar was among the first who joined the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) before he left it in 1998 to found the so-called the Fighting Salafist Group which affiliated to the GSPC led by Hassan Hattab.