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248 Pages·2008·2.93 MB·English

TTEERRRROORRIISSMM IINN
TTHHEE MMAAGGHHRREEBB
THE TRANSNATIONALISATION OF
DOMESTIC TERRORISM
ANNELI BOTHA
ISS MONOGRAPH SERIES (cid:129) No 144, JUNE 2008

CONTENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS v
LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND MAPS vii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY viii
CHAPTER 1 1
Introduction
CHAPTER 2 23
Terrorism in Algeria
CHAPTER 3 85
Terrorism in Morocco
CHAPTER 4 111
Terrorism in Tunisia
CHAPTER 5 125
North African involvement in transnational terror networks
CHAPTER 6 173
Assessment of counter-terrorism strategies
CHAPTER 7 199
Conclusion
ANNEX 207
Guantanamo Bay detainees
BIBLIOGRAPHY 209

iii
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anneli Botha is a senior researcher on terrorism at the Institute for Security
Studies (ISS) in Pretoria. After completing an honours degree in International
Politics (1993) she joined the South African Police Service Crime Intelligence
unit, during which time she focused, inter alia, on terrorism and religious
extremism. Botha holds an MA (Political Studies) degree from Rand Afrikaans
University (1999), which focused on the historical development of terrorism,
religious extremism and PAGAD. She has a specific interest in research
on the underlying causes of terrorism, radicalisation and counter-terrorism
strategies.
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to thank the African Centre for the Study and Research of
Terrorism in Algiers, Algeria, and in particular the assistance received from
Ambassador Diara, General Tartag and Mounir Idriss Lallali. Thanks also go
to the staff at the Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian embassies who not only
made my visits possible but who were crucial in securing interviews with key
role-players and institutions in their respective countries.
A further word of special gratitude to those at the Algerian, Moroccan and
Tunisian embassies who further enriched this publication with their thoughts
and suggestions before publishing this monograph.
Disclaimer
The author has been researching terrorism in this region for a number
of years. The intention is not to be controversial, but rather to stimulate
constructive discussion on a topic that can only be described as ‘sensitive’ in
the region. The following monograph represents the opinions of the author
and not that of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
v
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
In most cases the English versions of the generally French or Arabic names
are given
ACB Algerian Community in Great Britain
AIS Islamic Salvation Army
ANP National People’s Army or People’s National Army
AQLIM Al-Qa’eda Organisation for the Land of the Islamic Maghreb
AS Moroccan Youth Association
AU African Union
BRC Brown and Root-Condor
DGED General Directorate of Studies and Documentation (Moroccan
Secret Service)
DST Moroccan Territorial Surveillance Directorate
FIDA Islamic Front for Armed Jihad
FIS Islamic Salvation Front
FIT Tunisian Islamic Front
FFS Front of Socialist Forces
FLN National Liberation Front
GIA Armed Islamic Group
GICM Moroccan Islamic Combat Group
vi Terrorism in the Maghreb: The transnationalisation of domestic terrorism
GLD Legitimate Defence Groups
GSC Salafist Combat Group
GSD Salafish Group for Jihad
GSPC Salafist Group for Combat and Preaching
Hadith Recollection of the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad
Hamas Harakat al-Mujtam’a al-Islam
HATM Moroccan Movement for Reform and Renewal
HDS Defenders of Salafist Preaching
IED Improvised explosive device
ILP Islamic Liberation Party
LFG Libyan Islamic Fighting Group
MDA Movement for Democracy in Algeria
MDJT Movement for Democracy and Justice
MEI Movement of the Islamic State in Algeria
MIA Armed Islamic Movement
MTI Islamic Tendency Movement
NGO Non-governmental organisation
PLO Palestine Liberation Organisation
Shari’a Islamic law
Sunna Traditions (practices) of the Prophet Muhammad
UK United Kingdom
UN United Nations
US United States
vii
LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND MAPS
Table 1: D etails of selected GSPC/AQLIM attacks in 2007 (excluding
suicide bombings)
Table 2: Selected socio-economic indicators for Algeria, Morocco and
Tunisia
Figure 1: Structure of the GSPC
Figure 2: Modus operandi of GSPC/AQLIM, 2005–2007
Figure 3: GSPC/AQLIM target selection, 2005–2007
Map 1: GSPC Zones
Map 2: Suicide operations in Algeria
Map 3: Mobile training camps and areas of concern in Mali
Map 4: Areas of concern in Niger
viii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Terrorism on the African continent is a complex and emotional topic. One of
the primary reasons for this is that a historical introspection for any country,
or its people, that has been confronted with a conflicting past can only
be described as ‘sensitive’. In addition to international developments and
challenges, domestic circumstances predominately fuel domestic terrorism.
It will therefore be a mistake to assess the threat of terrorism in any country
in historic isolation. This is particularly true when one tries to assess and
understand the ‘renewed’ threat of terrorism in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
This monograph will attempt to place the threat and implication of the name
change announcement of the Salafist Group for Combat and Preaching
(GSPC) to al-Qa’eda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb (AQLIM) in
context, with the primary focus on events in 2007. The name change in
itself implied that the original domestic group had transnational ambitions,
but what influenced this development and what would the consequences
be? Although this development led to immediate and extensive international
interest in the Maghreb, it became clear that most assessments focused on
the now, without appreciating the historical complexities that ultimately led
to this development.
In conducting a historical assessment, one can appreciate that while all
three countries under review were confronted with similar challenges
after independence, each country reacted in a different manner, which
impacted on the manifestation and magnitude of the threat of terrorism and
the eventual impact of the transnationalisation of domestic terrorism on
transnational terrorism. Even the way independence was gained impacted on
the psychological acceptance of violence as an acceptable strategy.
The first chapter of the monograph serves as an introduction, providing
the scope of analysis, definitions of terrorism as provided by regional
organisations, and the legal approaches of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in
dealing with the threat of terrorism. This is followed by a brief introduction to
Salafism and Wahhabism as a prologue to the philosophical background of
the organisations that will be discussed in later chapters.