Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Islamist activity in the Sahara in relation to travel security

Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/)

- North Africa (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/north-africa/)

- - Islamist activity in the Sahara in relation to travel security (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/north-africa/islamist-activity-sahara-relation-travel-49806)

AQIM calls for jihad against the west in Libya

Good luck Drokdal with Libya
I doubt anyone is interested in what he says

You may have seen this but here goes
Portrait of Abou Zeid
Abou Zeid, entre djihad et contrebande - Visa pour l'Algérie

Are tuaregs involved?
Insecurity in the Sahara | Think Africa Press

Ennahar Online - Algeria strengthens its security at the border with Libya

Quote:

some 7,000 policemen and five army battalions were dispatched to the Algerian-Libyan border to include "any attempt to prevent delivery of weapons and infiltration" of members of AQIM in Algeria.

Better report in Magharebia
Algeria boosts Libya border security (Magharebia.com)

Quote:

Algerian military leaders met in Djanet to discuss ANP preparedness for possible security problems along the border with Libya, El Khabar reported on Tuesday (March 29th). The defence ministry tasked the Ouergla and Tamanrasset regional commanders with monitoring security and humanitarian issues related to the influx of refugees.
"The border with Libya has become a threat to Algeria's security," Interior Minister Dahou Ould Kablia said at a Saturday meeting with dignitaries and tribal sheikhs of the southern provinces. The minister called on local officials to aid authorities in preventing the infiltration of people with weapons from Libya.
Ould Kablia confirmed that "the Algerian army has taken precautions to prevent the entry of any armed elements," adding that the desert tribes said they would assist national authorities in defending the country.
"We've recently seen attempted penetrations by some evil people," the minister said. He noted that the army recently managed to take out a terrorist who tried to cross the Algeria-Libya border
...The interior minister's meeting with Touareg officials and southern dignitaries "reflects the Algerian authorities' fear about AQIM's possible recruitment of young Touaregs to smuggle weapons from the Libyan forces' depots", according to security expert Rabah Hedef.
He added that the Algerian authorities want to "establish a security barrier with the help of the southern region's residents to confront the possible penetration of terrorist groups in the south in view of the deteriorating situation in Libya, especially as the tribes there are familiar with the peculiarity of the place and its ramifications".
Hedef noted that Algeria would be negatively affected if the war expanded or a foreign army intervened, adding that any incursion of this sort would result in an influx of thousands of refugees and the smuggling of weapons from Libya to Algeria. He added that despite the 1,000-kilometre Libya-Algeria border, the frontier remained relatively secure.

West Africa forum encourages moderate Islam (Magharebia.com)
In Mauretania.

Does al Qaeda have some Libyan missiles? - CNN.com

Quote:

"in early January 2011, two Libyan AQIM members left their bases in northern Mali and travelled via southern Algeria into Libya. Arriving in Ghat, a remote desert city in Libya's extreme south-west on 15 January, they were involved in a shootout with Libyan security forces, killing one policeman, before being killed themselves. This is AQIM's first known armed operation in Libya." CNN has not been able to independently verify the incident.

More on the same theme

Yes, but - why believe an unnamed Algerian source?
I think Leibovich has it right
AQIM and Libya’s missing weapons � al-Wasat – الوسط

Algerian troops kill terrorists at Niger, Libya borders
2011-04-19

Algerian soldiers killed seven terrorists and made several arrests near the Libya and Niger borders, El Khabar reported on Monday (April 18th). During two separate operations conducted within a 24-hour period, ANP troops also seized large quantities of weapons and ammunition. One of the terrorists killed while trying to infiltrate the country was a Libyan national wanted by security services in Algeria, Mali and Mauritania.

So maybe the gun running stories from Libya for AQIM were true after all?

I heard today that France govt is discouraging tourism in the deep south of Alg though I think we guessed as much a month or 2 back...

Ch

"Large quantities"

Quote:

11 machine guns, two rifles and a considerable quantity of ammunition, transmission apparatus and a Rocket Launcher "RPG".

El Khabar

Can RPGs be used against helicopters?

Aqim is setting up a new base near Nara at the mauri border.
AFP: Al-Qaeda building new base in Mali: security sources
And the Malian army is doing - what?

Keenan is at it again UK in North Africa: Myths and contradictions - Briefings - Al Jazeera English

Quote:

Originally Posted by priffe (Post 333329)

Can RPGs be used against helicopters?

yes - but when the chopper is on the ground or at least hovering close to the ground. Best known example to the west is the loss of the US choppers (black hawks) in Mogadishu. RPGs are mostly used against tanks and APCs. They'll be useful to AQIM against military patrols. The Strela's (SAM7s) would be much more useful to AQIM against choppers but its really not clear if any of these made it out of Libya.

Issoufou has also said he will implement all accords signed with Tuaregs from the north to end their long-running rebellion and has named a Tuareg, Brigi Rafini, as his prime minister.

ANALYSIS-Al Qaeda, hunger pose risks for Niger's Issoufou | News by Country | Reuters

Also:

Mali : le président Touré a discuté paix et sécurité avec les Arabes du nord - Temoust.org | Le portail du peuple touareg berbère Kel Tamasheq

Can RPGs be used against helicopters?

The Tuareg from Mali and Niger have used the cheap RPG,s to destroy the hyper expensive Tiger combat helicopters used by their poor Gov's.

However it takes quite some skill and nerve to face, flying close to you, in the open desert, one of those ugly Tiger killing machines with a rather modest, single shot RPG. Just imagine if the rusty RPG jams with the sand. No place to hide.

Tigers helicopters are loaded with thousands of fast 50,s, 30,s rounds, rockets and missiles. An ugly thing to sell to our southern poor neighbors.

RPG,s are cheap and relatively easy to obtain in Sahel area. No so with the Sam rocket toys.

Europe sells lots of very expensive war toys to Africa. I wonder if such a thing can come back to us one day in some ugly way.

Why in the Sahel is it easier --and cheaper-- to buy a "kalash" with two loaded clips, than a good solar panel ????

When a few months a-go two Tigers were destroyed by Tuareg rebels in Niger the Tuareg simply said: "if our poor Gov expends a fortune in those Tigers at least they should learn how to fly them" "Our Gov's should take care of their people"

I remember with certain nostalgia when in this forum we mostly talked about
"wind sand and stars ..." routes and interesting details of the great books Sahara Overland and Mauritania avec 2cv .

Fair winds and following seas...