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The capture of AQIM Smugglers as described below was likely a routine return trip form Europe, bringing drug money, a variety of miscellaneous arms picked up in Libya, but the money may be bribe money from Gaddafi being delivered.....to a friendly government
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ALGIERS (Xinhua) -- Algerian army forces killed eight militants pertaining to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in the border area and seized some arms smuggled from Libya, a local newspaper reported Thursday.
Arabic-language daily El Khabar quoted a security source as saying that the army carried out the hours-long military operation Sunday night in Bordj Houine, a desert area on the border with Niger and Libya, killing eight militants and arresting four others, including a Libyan national.
The army forces recouped a load of weapons smuggled from Libya, including anti-tank missile launchers, middle-sized missiles, ammunition and explosives, and modern wireless devices, the source said, specifying that there were no anti-crafts missiles among the seized weapons.
They also destroyed several vehicles of the militants, and seized a sum of 1 million U.S. dollars and some documents pertaining to the AQIM, according to the source.
Meanwhile, the newspaper quoted another security source as saying that Algeria, Mauritania, Niger and Mali have established a joint security panel composed by arm experts and detectives, and tasked it with following up the smuggled weapons from Libya
The Rest @ Philstar
Showing posts with label Algeria AQIM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Algeria AQIM. Show all posts
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
AQIM's New SA-7s Are Not "Point and Shoot" Weapons
The following article suggests that recently pilfered Libya surface to air anti-aircraft missiles must be maintained carefully, and require unique battery systems that Al Qaeda groups in Africa do not have. There are reports that they may be looking for weapons manuals in Arabic.
REUTERS
Anti-Gaddafi fighters stand on Soviet-made SCUD missile outside a village near Sirte, one of Muammar Gaddafi's last remaining strongholds.
Thousands of surface-to-air missiles pillaged in Libya pose less of a risk than feared as most militant groups in sub-Saharan Africa lack the knowhow and the equipment to fire them, experts say.
The Soviet-made SA-7 is a man-portable low-altitude missile with a high explosive and passive infrared homing device that could pose a nightmare in the Sahel where an Al-Qaeda affiliate, among other groups, is active.
While some fear they could be used to target commercial flights if they fell into the wrong hands, others say that using them is not so simple and that they could turn out to be just scrap metal, if not properly stored.
The arsenal of toppled Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi comprised about 20 000 such missiles, initially manufactured in the former Soviet Union since 1972 and then in other east European countries, according to experts.
Several informed sources said many of them had found their way to clandestine markets in sub-Saharan Africa, where they could be offered to groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
“We have got wind of the fact that they are looking for instruction manuals in Arabic,” a French anti-terrorism expert told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“But there is nothing to indicate that these missiles are in a functional state. And using them is more difficult than it would seem.”
Another expert, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We know that Tuareg arms traffickers have got their hands on Libyan SA-7 missiles. But they are going to have serious maintainence problems.”
“For a start, these missiles can only be used with thermal batteries, which need to be recharged. We do not think AQIM has the necessary networks to get these.”
The cylindrical 9B17 thermal battery allows the seeker to track the target by detecting infrared radiation and then hit targets up to an altitude of 4500 metres (14 850 feet).
The missiles and batteries are usually stored separately.
Following Gaddafi's ouster, journalists who were able to access some of his armouries saw empty missile crates with their contents looted, but the batteries had been left behind.
A top US general recently said the United States and the international community believe Libya's new rulers are responsible for preventing weapons proliferation in a region battling terrorism.
General Carter Ham, the head of the Africa command, Africom, said there was “a threat of the proliferation of the weapons from Libya and we are greatly concerned... about small arms, rifles and weapons similar to that, but also explosives and shoulder-fired air defence systems.”
Nearby Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - all large but mainly poor countries - are prey to attacks by AQIM, which is battling the military in the Sahel nations, has taken Western hostages and is held to be engaged in arms trafficking.
Matthew Schroeder, the manager of the Arms Sales Monitoring Project at the Washington-based Federation of American Scientists, downplayed the fears of the missiles wrecking havoc.
“These missiles have in theory a shelf life of 10 to 20 years. But lots of these missiles are old, some may not function properly. And if they are not handled properly, they can be damaged,” he said.
“It's not good for these weapons to be taken out of their crates and thrown in the back of a truck. It's not like an AK series rifle, you know.”
And using them was not child's play, he said.
“They do require some training. It's not as simple as it's often portrayed. If you're a trained operator, it's not complicated, but specially with the older ones, in order to be reasonably confident you're going to hit the target you've got to know what you are doing.”
In July last year, he wrote an article for the specialised magazine Foreign Policy entitled “Stop Panicking About the Stingers” in which he tried to calm fears that insurgents in Afghanistan, who had got hold of the heat-seeking missiles, could use them against US planes.
“In the recent conflict in Afghanistan, I don't know of any report of a Stinger missile used since 2001,” he said. “I don't know of any downed plane as a result of Stingers. It also depends on the storage conditions.” - AFP
The Rest @ AFP
REUTERS
Anti-Gaddafi fighters stand on Soviet-made SCUD missile outside a village near Sirte, one of Muammar Gaddafi's last remaining strongholds.
Thousands of surface-to-air missiles pillaged in Libya pose less of a risk than feared as most militant groups in sub-Saharan Africa lack the knowhow and the equipment to fire them, experts say.
The Soviet-made SA-7 is a man-portable low-altitude missile with a high explosive and passive infrared homing device that could pose a nightmare in the Sahel where an Al-Qaeda affiliate, among other groups, is active.
While some fear they could be used to target commercial flights if they fell into the wrong hands, others say that using them is not so simple and that they could turn out to be just scrap metal, if not properly stored.
The arsenal of toppled Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi comprised about 20 000 such missiles, initially manufactured in the former Soviet Union since 1972 and then in other east European countries, according to experts.
Several informed sources said many of them had found their way to clandestine markets in sub-Saharan Africa, where they could be offered to groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
“We have got wind of the fact that they are looking for instruction manuals in Arabic,” a French anti-terrorism expert told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“But there is nothing to indicate that these missiles are in a functional state. And using them is more difficult than it would seem.”
Another expert, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We know that Tuareg arms traffickers have got their hands on Libyan SA-7 missiles. But they are going to have serious maintainence problems.”
“For a start, these missiles can only be used with thermal batteries, which need to be recharged. We do not think AQIM has the necessary networks to get these.”
The cylindrical 9B17 thermal battery allows the seeker to track the target by detecting infrared radiation and then hit targets up to an altitude of 4500 metres (14 850 feet).
The missiles and batteries are usually stored separately.
Following Gaddafi's ouster, journalists who were able to access some of his armouries saw empty missile crates with their contents looted, but the batteries had been left behind.
A top US general recently said the United States and the international community believe Libya's new rulers are responsible for preventing weapons proliferation in a region battling terrorism.
General Carter Ham, the head of the Africa command, Africom, said there was “a threat of the proliferation of the weapons from Libya and we are greatly concerned... about small arms, rifles and weapons similar to that, but also explosives and shoulder-fired air defence systems.”
Nearby Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - all large but mainly poor countries - are prey to attacks by AQIM, which is battling the military in the Sahel nations, has taken Western hostages and is held to be engaged in arms trafficking.
Matthew Schroeder, the manager of the Arms Sales Monitoring Project at the Washington-based Federation of American Scientists, downplayed the fears of the missiles wrecking havoc.
“These missiles have in theory a shelf life of 10 to 20 years. But lots of these missiles are old, some may not function properly. And if they are not handled properly, they can be damaged,” he said.
“It's not good for these weapons to be taken out of their crates and thrown in the back of a truck. It's not like an AK series rifle, you know.”
And using them was not child's play, he said.
“They do require some training. It's not as simple as it's often portrayed. If you're a trained operator, it's not complicated, but specially with the older ones, in order to be reasonably confident you're going to hit the target you've got to know what you are doing.”
In July last year, he wrote an article for the specialised magazine Foreign Policy entitled “Stop Panicking About the Stingers” in which he tried to calm fears that insurgents in Afghanistan, who had got hold of the heat-seeking missiles, could use them against US planes.
“In the recent conflict in Afghanistan, I don't know of any report of a Stinger missile used since 2001,” he said. “I don't know of any downed plane as a result of Stingers. It also depends on the storage conditions.” - AFP
The Rest @ AFP
Sunday, September 18, 2011
AQIM Plans to Target Africa Oil Field Staff Aircraft with SA-7s
AQIM : Al-Qaeda plans to attack oil firms in North Africa
Posted by Admin on 2011/9/16 17:00:00 (90 reads) News by the same author
Algerian newspaper el-Khabar has reported of a specific al-Qaeda threat to US and British oil companies operating in Sahel and North Africa following US reports that the terrorist network has acquired Russian anti-aircraft rockets during the Libyan conflict.
US security forces have reportedly sent an email to US embassies in the Sahel Region and North Africa, in addition to oil companies operating in these region, after receiving confirmed information that al-Qaeda has acquired huge number of surface-to-air rockets which the group intends to use in attacks on oilfield staff from US and British companies working in the Sahara.
“The email says that terrorists plan to attack these companies, precisely planes carrying the staff working in the oil fields,” the newspaper quoted a source.
The newspaper said that the terrorists aim to target mainly staff rather than oil field infrastructure. The newspaper also said that major services companies operating in the drilling and the exploration sectors have received the email and forwarded it to their security contractors.
The notice has already reportedly spread concern among companies operating in these region, and also those looking to take part in the reconstruction of Libya.
The news paper said the rockets smuggled are SAM7 and SAM5 handheld Russian surface-to-air rockets, capable of shooting down civilian aircraft.
By Abdelghani Henni
Friday, 16 September 2011 5:37
The Rest @ World Analysis net
Posted by Admin on 2011/9/16 17:00:00 (90 reads) News by the same author
Algerian newspaper el-Khabar has reported of a specific al-Qaeda threat to US and British oil companies operating in Sahel and North Africa following US reports that the terrorist network has acquired Russian anti-aircraft rockets during the Libyan conflict.
US security forces have reportedly sent an email to US embassies in the Sahel Region and North Africa, in addition to oil companies operating in these region, after receiving confirmed information that al-Qaeda has acquired huge number of surface-to-air rockets which the group intends to use in attacks on oilfield staff from US and British companies working in the Sahara.
“The email says that terrorists plan to attack these companies, precisely planes carrying the staff working in the oil fields,” the newspaper quoted a source.
The newspaper said that the terrorists aim to target mainly staff rather than oil field infrastructure. The newspaper also said that major services companies operating in the drilling and the exploration sectors have received the email and forwarded it to their security contractors.
The notice has already reportedly spread concern among companies operating in these region, and also those looking to take part in the reconstruction of Libya.
The news paper said the rockets smuggled are SAM7 and SAM5 handheld Russian surface-to-air rockets, capable of shooting down civilian aircraft.
By Abdelghani Henni
Friday, 16 September 2011 5:37
The Rest @ World Analysis net
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Global Al Qaeda and AQIM Leaders Trying to Set Up Libya Network
Al-Qaeda plans to gain a foothold in Libya and develop its network by taking advantage of chaos enveloping the country in the wake of Moammar Qaddafi’s ouster, a Pentagon official said Wednesday.
“It’s safe to say that it’s one of their goals to try and set up some sort of a footprint and network internally… playing for the long haul,” said the official on condition of anonymity.
“Right now they probably play it safe but in the long term that’s something we are worried about.”
Qaddafi, wanted for alleged crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, remains in hiding but many of his inner circle and a son have fled to neighboring Niger, while Libya’s new rulers tackle the aftermath of a more than six-months uprising.
“We’re concerned that Al-Qaeda could try to take advantage of the situation,” the Pentagon official said.
“Al-Qaeda’s leadership and AQIM (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) leadership has expressed an interest in getting involved and playing a role. They see that as an opportunity,” he added.
A two-day meeting on security in Africa’s Sahel desert region earlier this month ruled out any foreign military intervention to counter an Al-Qaeda threat exacerbated by the war in Libya.
The conference in Algiers was dominated by fears that an influx of weapons from Libya could benefit AQIM.
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The Rest @ Update News (Canada)
“It’s safe to say that it’s one of their goals to try and set up some sort of a footprint and network internally… playing for the long haul,” said the official on condition of anonymity.
“Right now they probably play it safe but in the long term that’s something we are worried about.”
Qaddafi, wanted for alleged crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, remains in hiding but many of his inner circle and a son have fled to neighboring Niger, while Libya’s new rulers tackle the aftermath of a more than six-months uprising.
“We’re concerned that Al-Qaeda could try to take advantage of the situation,” the Pentagon official said.
“Al-Qaeda’s leadership and AQIM (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) leadership has expressed an interest in getting involved and playing a role. They see that as an opportunity,” he added.
A two-day meeting on security in Africa’s Sahel desert region earlier this month ruled out any foreign military intervention to counter an Al-Qaeda threat exacerbated by the war in Libya.
The conference in Algiers was dominated by fears that an influx of weapons from Libya could benefit AQIM.
Post this article on your website
The Rest @ Update News (Canada)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Possible Coming Al Shabaab Bombing Outside of Somalia
Russian made Semtex, similar to to US made C-4 was held in large Stockpiles in Libya. An undetermined quantity of Semtex now been acquired by AQIM, al al qaeda affiliate during the Libyan Revolution.
Bombings of both the Nigerian UN Building and the Algerian Military Academy took place in the last week, both less than a month after the Semtex was acquired. Both were car bombs, both with very powerful explosions, and both by al Qaeda affiliates.It would not be a surprise to find that Semtex was involved in both bombings.
- Since AQIM, Boko Haram and al Shabaab have both been active in seeking to communicate with each other
- Since there is an established arms smuggling route along the Southern Saraha that reaches Somalia,
- It would not be a surprise for some of this Semtex to be in the hands of al Shabaab
-Shimron Issachar
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