Since the Algerian terror group GSPC officially changed its name to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, an acceleration of attacks has occurred. For more please read here, here.
The latest two attacks in Algeria in two days killed 11: one attack on Saturday was targeting Russian contractors and the one on Sunday Algerian police force.
After the recent attack on US contractors, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has clearly decided to attack foreigners as well as locals and that's a big change.
Now, Morocco is also a very potential target, as recently confirmed by Western intelligence reports which fear specific attacks on Western interests in the country.
For the first time since the attacks of May 16, 2003 lists of sought after terrorists have been widely distributed and broadcast in the media, inviting the population “to help the security services to find where two particularly dangerous members of Al-Qaeda hide”.
In the last weeks multiple arrests have occurred and the tension is more than palpable. In less than one week, at least two meetings took place between all the security services with the objective to adopt a strategy which takes into account the new regional threat of Al-Qaeda.
Priority is given to the collection of information.
Security agents are going to be focused on watching the new arrival in the suburbs, the new day laborers on the construction sites… Agents in plain clothes will mix with the crowd which waits in front of certain consulates.
In Casablanca, some agents have even started to account for all the hardware stores (potential buying place for getting explosives), the cybercafés and the apartments occupied by single people in various areas of the city.
The security measures were particularly reinforced in the area of Tangier and Tétouan. Two experts in explosives would be, according to several news services, infiltrated in Morocco through the Tangier harbor. Various members of sleeper cells of Al-Qaida in Europe have also moved to the Maghreb since the merger between GSPC and Al Qaeda was sealed.
For a few days, all the cars entering or leaving Tangier have been systematically searched.
Parking is from now on prohibited nearby the consulates and certain significant buildings in the city. More than ever the Maghreb is turning into a major front on the war against radical Islam.
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Just more evidence of the growing Al Qeada influence in North Africa.
It is more than just a name change....it is a decision to embrace an idea.
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