More on al Qaeda affiliate AQLIM

Another interesting article on the increased wingspan of Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQLIM or AQIM).

“Al Qaeda’s affiliate in North Africa has carried out a string of slayings, bombings and other lethal attacks against Westerners and African security forces in recent weeks that have raised fears the terrorist group may be turning a more deadly corner.”

Al Qaeda: terrorism’s equivalent of a fast food franchise!

AP (via MSNBC) reports that Al Qaeda continues to form allegiances with homegrown groups sharing similar goals e.g. the al-Qaida of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM or AQLIM) in Algeria. Put simply, Al Qaeda trains them and lends them their brand name, and in return the ubiquitous group gets more members at their disposal and a greater reach across areas like northern and western Africa and Europe.

Note: some of you might remember that AQLIM was the group whose training camp was decimated by the bubonic plague this past January. Click here for my post.

Ironic that their business model is based on one of the Western concepts they most despise.  One could argue the joke is meant to be on us, but I thought the point was to find culturally non-Western, Islamic ways of doing things and prove they work better than Western concepts? What do I know, I’m just an infidel.

Video: Marines fire on insurgents

“Marines ambush some insurgents who are using a bombed-out hotel to hide in during a night-time raid.”  Video via Military.com, click here for link.