Top European officials warns against Al-Qaeda danger in Algeria

The European Union considered the jihad elements which fought in Iraq are the main base for Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to recruit fighters in Algeria and turn them into suicide bombers.According to European Union Counter-Terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, Abdelmalek Drudkel alias Abu Musab Abdelouadoud, the national leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb could develop its acts and acquired a certain expertise due to the return of fighters from Iraq to Algeria. “Al-Qaeda is continuing to dominate international terrorism and is developing a ‘real threat’ to European security,” said Gilles de Kerchove at the European Parliament on Monday.   “This threat is accentuated by the return to north African countries, and in Europe, of ‘jihadis’ who have acquired a certain expertise and are seen as heroes, and therefore are a source of attraction” for recruits, he added.     The top official believes that Al-Qaeda has started reinforcing its presence in North Africa since 2007. He gave the example of Austrian tourists Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber who were kidnapped in February in Tunisia as well as attacks on foreigners in Mauritania and acts carried out by Al-Qaeda’s cells in Algeria and Morocco.    “The European Union needed to do more work on dealing with ‘the consequences of a major attack,” Gilles de Kerchove concluded.