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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Terrorism in the Maghreb and Sahel

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) call for urgent action to curb global poverty. "Global Monitoring Report 2005: From Consensus to Momentum" warns that without immediate action, there is a grave risk of missing international health targets and that Sub-Saharan Africa is in danger of not meeting any of the Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty, disease and illiteracy by 2015. The IMF's "World Economic Outlook" also warns of slower economic growth ,and the increasing and volatile oil prices.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2005/01/index.htm
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20443544~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

As international experts gathered for a meeting to complete plans for an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system, the Indonesian island of Sumatra, still reeling from the effects of the December 26 tsunami and a string of earthquakes, faced a volcanic eruption from which more than 26,000 people were evacuated.
http://www.unisdr.org/

A new Faculty of Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine has been launched by the Society of Apothecaries. Medical and military experts will help prepare doctors and nurses for the danger and chaos of their work in war zones and disaster areas.
http://www.apothecaries.co.uk/index.php?page=53&PHPSESSID=e50ae0d9ae6317d2ccec594bb06c3739

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2. Africa

The African Union announced the establishment of the Eastern Africa Stand-by Brigade, a rapid-reaction force of East African peacekeepers, that is part of the AU's African Stand-by Force.

Angola's deadly outbreak of Marburg fever has not been contained. A culture of family care makes patient isolation difficult and local burial practices contribute to new infections. Bordering countries have begun taking measures to prevent further spread of the virus and have placed healthcare workers on high alert. South Africa has issued warnings of patients coming from Angola and its neighbors.

Burundi's National Liberation Force (FNL) rebels announced the end of their insurgency and plans to hold peace talks. The FNL was the last active rebel force that had not joined the peace process, including the transitional government.

Democratic Republic of Congo rebels of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) declared an end to its insurrection and began disarmament of the militiamen. The People's Armed Forces of Congo (FAPC) militiamen have completed disarmament and can choose to enter the civilian reintegration program or join the new national army. Despite these signs of progress, violence in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu threatens the entire peace process. The Electoral Commission announced that voter registration will begin in early June, thereby delaying elections scheduled for that month.

Djibouti’s President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, won the entire vote in the presidential election and will now serve his second and final 6-year term. The official news agency, Agence Djiboutienne d'Information (ADI), reported that 78.9 percent of about 197,000 registered voters cast ballots and about 5.7 percent of the votes were reported void.

Guinea has arrested 17 alleged dissident members of Ivory Coast's rebel movement, New Forces. They clashed with soldiers at the border, killing one rebel.

Ivory Coast's army chief and rebel commanders have agreed oin a provisional timetable to proceed with disarmament.

Mozambicans will no longer be required to obtain a visa to travel between South Africa.

In Somalia, interclan fighting between the Saae and Seeleeban killed at least 13 and injured more than 30.

Sudan received pledges from international donors of $4.5 billion, nearly twice the targeted amount. These donations are to support the peace agreement addressing the long-term war in the south, but do not address the violence and atrocities continuing in Darfur province.

Sudanese government forces attacked Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in the south. LRA is a Ugandan rebel group that often launches attacks from its Sudanese border hiding places.

Zimbabwe announced plans to compensate 822 white farmers whose land was seized under the compulsory land reform program. Meanwhile, opposition parties continue their electoral challenge while the ruling ZANU-PF plans to proceed with constitutional changes.

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3. Americas

Brazil's President Lula da Silva has signed a decree to create the Raposa Serra Do Sol reserve for Amazonian Indians.
Canada's parliament passes a non-binding motion to hold a public inquiry into the 1985 Air India bombing. (note previous coverage: https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2005/040305.html#FeatureArticle)

Cuban exile and founder of the Cuban American National Foundation, Luis Posada Carriles crossed illegally from Mexico to the US, where he plans to seek asylum. He has been connected with narco-terrorism and stands accused of planning to kill Cuban President Fidel Castro, a 1986 plane bombing in which 73 were killed, a series of attacks against Havana tourist sites in the 1990s, and other incidents.

Ecuador's President Gutierrez has dismissed the Supreme Court and declared a state of emergency that was lifted after one day. The measures follow massive anti-government protests that have increased since the crisis last December when the Supreme Court was first dismissed.

Guatemala's UN Verification Mission has ended after ten years of verifying human rights and helping implement its peace accords which, signed in 1996, ended 36 years of conflict that killed an estimated 200,000 people, most of them civilian victims of massacres, and the majority Mayan indigenous villagers. The end-of-mission report cited the operation as a successful model to be emulated.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=a/59/746 http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/minugua.htm

In Haiti, a weekend operation between peacekeepers and police led to the death of gang leaders Renee Jean Anthony ("Grenn Sonnen) and Ravix Remissainthe as well as five of their followers. As UN Security Council and the Ad Hoc Consultative Group on Haiti arrived for an economic assessment, one of the peacekeepers was shot dead.

US law enforcement officials announced the largest fugitive apprehension operation in US history. During Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) 10,340 fugitives were arrested and 13,800 felony warrants were cleared.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/April/05_ag_193.htm

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4. Asia Pacific

April 12 marks the 20th anniversary of the US withdrawal from Cambodia.

Chinese protests against Japan have spread further despite attempts to limit demonstrations that have become increasingly violent. Protests began over Japan's approval of a textbook that downplayed war atrocities as well as their efforts to obtain a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Underlying this are long-running hostilities over the Japanese occupation in WW II. Tensions were further exacerbated by Japan's decision to proceed with exploratory oil drilling in a disputed area of the East China Sea, a move China deemed provocative. South Koreans joined protests against the Japanese portrayal of history. Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura went to China asking for an apology, but China refused, saying the issue remained wartime atrocities.

In a threat to China's internal stability, a bloody riot in Juankantou village of Zhejiang province attracted thousands of people in pitched battle against police trying to disperse 200 elderly women protesting chemical pollution from local factories they blame for ruined crops and birth defects. At least 35 police were injured. In the days after, tens of thousands of people have visited the site where police were forced to retreat. Such incidents have increased, and authorities have suppressed their reporting to help prevent their spread.

China and India have signed an agreement to lay out the steps needed in the settlement of the long-running dispute over their Himalayan border.

Indonesia's armed forces will close down their business interests, which include hotels, golf courses, fishing, and so forth, over the next two years. Highly profitable, they have been associated with corruption and connected to organized criminal enterprises.

In Indonesia's Aceh province, there will be an increase in the number of government forces, although a third round of peace talks being held in Finland are reportedly going well.

North Korea has formally appealed for international help against its avian influenza outbreak, including diagnostic tools and technical aid for control strategies.

Kyrgyzstan's Parliament accepted the resignation of President Askar Akayev and set a date of July 10 for the presidential election.

Papua New Guinea has refused an A$800 million aid package from Australia after Australia refused to apologize for making PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare remove his shoes for an airport X-ray before he was allowed to travel.

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5. Europe

Armenia and Azerbaijan have experienced increasing numbers of ceasefire violations during recent weeks. The Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group that deals with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict warned of higher numbers of casualties and that recent talk of war was harming the ceasefire framework.
http://www.osce.org/item/13896,html

Estonia has a new governing coalition led by Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, three weeks after former Prime Minister Juhan Parts resigned.

In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia the delayed second round of municipal elections were completed. International monitors report low voter participation and cases of ballot box stuffing, group voting, and voters not signing the voter list in numerous places.
http://www.osce.org/news/show_news.php?ut=2&id=4857

German police launched cross-country raids as they investigated two money laundering cases connected with Islamic terror networks.

Turkish security forces conducted a 3-day operation in the southeast during which 21 members of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed, as well as three soldiers.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko cancelled an official visit to Russia after their Prosecutor General said she was still a wanted criminal, although she has immunity. Russia's arrest warrant is connected with alleged fraud.

The UK has established an anti-terrorist investigation squad in Manchester, the first set up outside of London.

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6. Middle East

In Egypt, a third victim of the April 7 bombing in Cairo has died, bringing the death toll to four, including the suicide attacker.

Iranian groups promoting democracy will be eligible for $3 million funding disbursed by the US State Department. This is the first time since the 1980 revolution, when the US broke off relations, that the US has sent money inside the country. Iran has condemned the plan as a violation of the US's agreement not to intervene in Iran's internal affairs.

Iraqi civilians and security forces bear the brunt of insurgent attacks, while attacks against US forces have declined. US officials indicate they are satisfied with the progress of Iraqi security forces and can begin gradually to reduce the US presence. The past week saw a spate of car bombings and suicide attacks in which dozens were killed. There were some indications this could indicate a new offensive and warnings that some attacks, such as the Abu Ghraib attack earlier this month, may show increasing sophistication.

Most seriously, Iraqi and US troops have launched an operation in the central Iraqi town of Madain. Sunni rebels there seized a group of Shia hostages on April 15, saying they will be killed unless all Shias leave the town. Details are sketchy, but the number of hostages could be as high as 150. The government has acknowledged they have lost control of the town, which is now surrounded by troops.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with US President Bush. Bush warned against settlement expansion, but Sharon reiterated that some settlement blocs in the West Bank would be part of Israel and that the plan to build thousands of homes linking the largest settlement of Maale Adumim to Jerusalem would go ahead despite international opposition.

Lebanese Hezbollah flew a pilotless drone over northern Israel in what they called retaliation for repeated overflights by Israel. The UN has again called on both parties to stop the repeated overflights.

In Beirut, Lebanon on April 13, 1975, right-wing Phalangist gunmen opened fire on a Maronite Christian congregation attending mass then ambushed a bus carrying mostly Palestinians. This sparked a street battle in which 26 people were killed. The clash marked the beginning of the Lebanese civil war. For the first time, the anniversary was marked in Beirut with a national unity festival. On this day, Prime Minister Omar Karami resigned after failing to form a new government and at the end of the week President Lahoud named moderate pro-Syrian Najib Mikati the new Prime Minister, hoping he can break the political deadlock in time for next month's parliamentary elections.

In the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli troops shot dead Ibrahim Hashash, a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. Israeli Defense Forces said Hashash was a "ticking bomb" and responsible for prior attacks. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called it a serious violation of the 2-month truce. In Balata camp, an army unit disguised as Arabs raided the camp, shooting dead a Palestinian member of Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

The Palestinian Authority plans to combine eleven different security services operating in Gaza and the West Bank into three divisions: National Security, General Security, and General Intelligence.

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7. South Asia

In Afghanistan, President Karzai met with US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. Among other topics they discussed the possibility of a long-term relationship, potentially including permanent US bases. German intelligence reports that Osama bin Laden evaded US forces by bribing the Afghan militias, allied to the US, which had been tasked with finding him. A militia commander in Helmand province led an attack against a provincial disarmament team, resulting in several serious injuries and the death of three gunmen. In clashes with Taliban fighters, two soldiers were wounded and 12 suspected Taliban killed. Taliban supporters set off a bomb outside a US military base in Kandahar that destroyed five oil tankers, injuring three drivers.

In Kandahar, Afghanistan's poppy eradication campaign was interrupted when protestors who rely on the crop began throwing stones at the local eradication force, led by US contractors. This escalated into a gun battle in which one demonstrator was killed and six injured, and two police were hurt. Although crops are being destroyed, farmers have not been assisted in establishing alternate crops.

A Bangladesh court has sentenced to death 22 people for murdering opposition parliamentarian Ahsan Ullah Master of the Awami League and another man. Six others were sentenced to life in prison and two were acquitted.

India's Assam state separatists of the National Democratic Front of Bodolond will extend its ceasefire with the Indian government for another six months. India's Gujarat state government denies charges made by a police officer that the state had authorized the killing of more than a thousand Muslims in the religious riots of 2002. The Central Administrative Tribunal is investigating the allegations.

India and China have signed an agreement to lay out the steps needed in the settlement of the long-running dispute over their Himalayan border.

Indian Prime Minister Singh opened the first section of track in the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinigar-Baramullah railway line in Indian-administered Kashmir. The plan is to link all of Kashmir and requires complex engineering to go through the Himalayan mountain range.

In Nepal, bomb threats from Maoist rebels have closed a number of private schools. In a punishment attack, rebels killed ten villagers and injured seven for not supporting the cause. King Gyanendra says he will hold municipal elections by April 2006 and decided to allow UN staff in to stop human rights abuses.

Pakistani tribesmen in Balochistan province have ended a month-long standoff against the army with an evacuation of both sides from the previously blockaded road.

In northeastern Sri Lanka, five Tamil Tiger rebels loyal to renegade commander, Colonel Karuna, were killed in a shooting incident apparently begun by an insider.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

LexisNexis disclosed that illegal access had been obtained to the personal data files of more than 300,000 people. The data broker had originally reported a breach of 32,000 records but a subsequent audit found that the security breach was some ten times more serious than originally thought.
http://www.lexisnexis.com/about/releases/0789.asp

HSBC sent out letters to 180,000 customers that criminals might have gained access to their credit card details, through a retailer.
http://www.gmcard.com/GMCard/index.jsp

The US Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on "Securing Electronic Personal Data: Striking a Balance Between Privacy and Commercial and Governmental Use"
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=1437

Microsoft has issued patches for five critical vulnerabilities as part of its April security update, most involving weaknesses that could allow remote control of targeted machines. One of the most serious flaws affects many networks using the Internet Protocol. Several governments, internet, and security firms issued warnings regarding this vulnerability. Instructions on how to exploit several of these vulnerabilities were released less than a day after the patches.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/default.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS05-019.mspx
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20050412-icmp.shtml
http://www.niscc.gov.uk/niscc/index-en.html
http://www.qualys.com/research/alerts/view.php/2005-04-12

The Virus Prevalence Survey from ICSA Labs highlights these key trends:

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9. Finance

The US Treasury designated Bilal Mansur Al-Hiyari as a terrorist financier for providing support to the Zarqawi Network, an al Qaida-affiliated terrorist group active in the insurgency in Iraq. His name has also been submitted to the UN 1267 Committee, which will consider adding him to the consolidated list of terrorists tied to al Qaeda, bin Laden and the Taliban.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js2370.htm

The Treasury also released its new Suspicious Activity Report review.
http://www.fincen.gov/sarreviewissue8.pdf

New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau describes a plan being developed to give the government access to records of international wire transfers to try to trace and deter terrorist financing. His article, "U.S. Seeks Access to Bank Records to Deter Terror" was published on April 10.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/10/national/10terror.html

Spanish Judge Ismael Moreno charged eleven Pakistani citizens, who had been arrested last year, with helping finance international terrorist groups including those involved the 3/11 Madrid train bombings last year.

The US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held hearings regarding Oversight of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program.
http://banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=139

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10. Human Rights

A Chinese court for the first time has ruled that evidence obtained by torture is inadmissible.

Human Rights Watch reports on "Diplomatic Assurances Allowing Torture". They find that "Governments in Europe and North America are increasingly sending suspects to abusive states on the basis of flimsy 'diplomatic assurances' that expose the detainees to serious risk of torture and ill-treatment".
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/04/15/eu10479.htm

China published a white paper detailing "Progress in Human Rights in 2004".
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-04/13/content_433828.htm

The Egyptian Supreme Council for Human Rights, a state-backed organisation set up last year, gave credence in its first annual report to widespread allegations of torture by Egyptian police and security forces.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A2F224BF-44BE-41C9-A59E-9B66C09373CD.htm

Leonidas Koniaris and colleagues report on "Inadequate anaesthesia in lethal injection for execution" in a Research Letter published in the April 16 issue of The Lancet. They found that "Protocol information from Texas and Virginia showed that executioners had no anaesthesia training, drugs were administered remotely with no monitoring for anaesthesia, data were not recorded and no peer-review was done". Consequently, " Methods of lethal injection anaesthesia are flawed and some inmates might experience awareness and suffering during execution". http://www.thelancet.com/journal/journal.isa (registration)

A New York legislative committee voted against reinstating the state's death penalty, which had been suspended last year.

The International Court of Justice opened hearings on the case filed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo against Uganda for "acts of armed aggression" and seeking "compensation from Uganda in respect of all acts of looting, destruction, removal of property and persons and other unlawful acts attributable to it".
http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/ipresscom/ipress2005/ipresscom2005-08_co_20050330.htm

The UN Commission on Human Rights continued its 61st session, adopting resolutions to promote and protect economic, social, and cultural rights, support fundamental rights and freedoms, and address issues of racism and occupation practices in Palestinian territories.
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/index.htm

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Abba Sani Abacha, son of the former military ruler, has been extradited from Germany, where he was arrested last year, to Switzerland, where he has been charged with aggravated money laundering, participating in a criminal organization, and embezzlement.

Dan Ad was sentenced to eight months in prison and ten months probation for his conviction of threatening to kill Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz. The sentence reflects Ad's psychological problems.

Dhiren Barot, Qaisar Shaffi, and Nadeem Tarmohammed, of London, were arrested in August 2004 on terrorism-related charges. Last week they were indicted in the US for alleged surveillance of major financial centers in New York, Newark and Washington.
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2005/April/05_crm_180.htm

David Chalmers Jr, Ludmil Dionissiev and John Irving were indicted in US District Court where they stand accused of paying bribes to Saddam Hussein's regime, thereby diverting funds in the Oil-for-Food program.

Ghassan, Basman and Bayan Elashi, three brothers, were found guilty of supporting terrorism by passing money to a Hamas official. Ghassan and Bayan were convicted on 21 counts of conspiracy, money laundering and dealing in the property of a terrorist. Basman was found guilty on three counts.

Kamal Bourgass was convicted of plotting to manufacture and disperse ricin and other poisons in the UK. Eight other suspects seized during the raid in which Bourgass was captured, after killing a policeman, were acquitted.

Jim Gray, former Ulster Defense Association (UDA) leader, was charged in Northern Ireland with possessing and concealing criminal property. His bank accounts have been frozen.

Mustafa Ait Idir and five other Bosnians detained at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, filed suit in US federal court for the release of information supporting his charges of abuse and torture in detention.

Philip Johnston, owner of a group of real estate agencies, has been charged with four counts of money laundering and was refused bail by a Northern Ireland court..

Ian Alexander Kane was taken into custody in Northern Ireland where he is accused of having articles of use to terrorists, including chemical powder, a blank firing pistol, and articles of combat-style clothing.

Kahwa Panga Mandro, leader of Unity and Safeguarding of the Integrity of Congo (PUSIC), a coalition of dissident militiamen, was arrested by local authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is accused of murder, arson, and misuse of public funds.

Cyril Anthony McGuinness faces 48 money laundering charges, His wife Mary Josephine McGuinness faces 19 charges and Cormac Owen McCaffrey 14. The three were accused of membership in a Northern Ireland criminal gang. Charges include receipt and use of millions of Euros, concealing criminal property, handling stolen goods, and illegal waste disposal.

Sharon Moss of Belfast was charged with 16 counts of money laundering and has been released on bail.

Ibrahim Sabawi, Saddam Hussein's nephew, was arrested in Iraq, where is accused of financing the insurgency.

Firas Tanbor, a member of Fatah suspected of planning a Hezbollah-backed terrorist attack, was arrested by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.

Hassan Yusuf, a West Bank Hamas leader, was arrested as he left Jerusalem after Israeli police had deployed to prevent an extremist attack as threatened by right-wing Jews opposed to the planned withdrawal from Gaza.

Wen Hao Zhao will be deported from the US back to Australia after raising alarms outside the Capitol building and White House, holding two suitcases he refused to open. Police, believing he could be a suicide bomber, blew up one case and determined the other was safe. He faces no criminal charges.
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/articles/20050415washington.htm

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12. Transportation

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has developed a network of cameras and lasers to flash warning signals to communicate with aircraft whose intentions are unknown.
http://www.norad.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.news_fact_flares

Cyprus and the US have concluded a bilateral agreement within the Proliferation Security Initiative that makes the high seas inhospitable to transport of weapons of mass destruction.
http://www.americanembassy.org.cy/USpolicy/pr-PSIapril8_05.htm

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Experts meeting at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met to share information on improving nuclear power plant safety.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2005/nsworldwide.html

Another report critical of US government control of nuclear waste came from the Government Accountability Office. In "Nuclear Regulatory Commission: NRC Needs to Do More to Ensure that Power Plants Are Effectively Controlling Spent Nuclear Fuel" pervasive problems stemming from lack of accountability and oversight present significant health and safety concerns.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-339

IAEA reports that satellite images reveal dismantling and removal at 37 Iraqi sites linked to Saddam Hussein's clandestine nuclear program since his defeat two years ago, but without on-site inspections no conclusions can be drawn.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2005/243

The UN General Assembly adopted the Nuclear Terrorism Convention by consensus. It will open for signature on September 14.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=a/59/766

The World Health Organization has called on nearly 4,000 laboratories, most in the US and Canada, to destroy immediately flu proficiency testing samples containing a sometimes deadly H2N2 influenza strain for which many people have at best limited immunity. The samples were sent out by mistake.
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/h2n2_2005_04_12/en/

April 12 marked the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the polio vaccine.

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14. Recently Published

Fergus M. Bordewich, "Bound for Canaan", Amistad

Council of Europe, "Terrorism: special investigation techniques" Council of Europe Publishing
http://book.coe.int/sysmodules/RBS_page/admin/redirect.php?id=36&lang=EN&produit_aliasid=1906

International Crisis Group, "A Decade on the Front Lines" ICG
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3352&l=1

Jeffrey Kluger, "Splendid Solution" Jonas Salk and the Conquest of Polio" Putnam

Ruth Macklin, "Double Standards in Medical Research in Developing Countries", Cambridge University Press

David M. Oshinsky, "Polio: An American Story" Oxford University Press

Michael Sebban, Lehaim, Hachette Litteratures

Michal Zalewski "Silence on the Wire: A Field Guide to Passive Reconnaissance and Indirect Attacks", No Starch Press
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/1593270461/

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Terrorism in the Maghreb and Sahel

Northwest Africa contains to regions that have been identified as critical in efforts to defeat terrorism, the Maghreb and the Sahel.

The Maghreb is named from the Arabic word for "west". It includes Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia.

The Sahel takes its name from the Arabic word for "shore". For the purposes of this report, it includes Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger towards the west, but as the transition zone to the Sahara desert it continues on to Senegal, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Sudan and into the Horn of Africa.

Common characteristics shared in the Maghreb and Sahel countries began with ancient historical ties to Arabic civilizations, as well as their neighbors to the north and south. Arabic is the language of choice, as are French and local indigenous languages. Islam is the dominant religion. The economies of these countries varies with the natural resources and terrain, but they are joined in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Sahel and West Africa Club to informal interaction on common development issues such as land use that balances the needs of agricultural, pastoralist, and nomadic populations. Governance, conflict, peace and security are also key issues for countries that have seen a variety of political upheavals, particularly in the post-colonial century. These countries also participate in the Arab League, Islamic Conference Organization, United Nations, and other regional and international bodies.

Attacks against US interests began with the embassy bombings and the USS Cole bombing, but only after the September 11 attacks did the US contemplate Africa as a potential terrorist breeding ground. Their efforts began in 2002 with the Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI) that focused on Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad. In each of these countries, PSI equipped and trained a rapid reaction force of about 150 soldiers. This effort, with a budget of $7.75 million, was deemed a success but seen as insufficient at such a small scale.

In mid-2004, PSI was wrapped into the Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism initiative (TSCTI), an international program expanded to include Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria. It focuses on building security capacity using military training and joint exercises to show elite forces how to fight terrorist groups. It is supported by a budget of up to a $100 million.

These efforts recently came under the scrutiny of the International Crisis Group. Their report, "Islamist Terrorism in the Sahel: Fact of Fiction?" begins with an example:

The report goes on to discuss the nature of the regional threat, key organizations participating in and preventing terrorism, and the specific politics of each country. This review reveals that:

They conclude that although caution regarding security in the area is justified and supports greater Western involvement but that "the Sahel is not a hotbed of terrorist activity". The report warns that "A misconceived and heavy handed approach could tip the scale the wrong way; serious, balanced, and long-term engagement with the four countries should keep the region peaceful. An effective counter-terrorism policy there needs to address the threat in the broadest terms, with more development than military aid and greater U.S.-European collaboration".

The Sahel and its neighboring region of The Maghreb were a focus of recent discussion by the British Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee. In "Foreign Policy Aspects of the War against Terrorism" they point to the Maghreb as a region of strategic importance to the UK and of "great significance to the international war against terrorism". Their discussion looks at a number of practical matters such as:

The report provides particular details regarding Algeria, Libya and Morocco.

In Algeria, the report concludes that despite great progress towards ending the threat, a number of terrorist groups remain active and are linked to al Qaeda, "most notably through the 'Afghan connection', making events in Algeria an international concern". These groups are tied to the informal economy and crime. Bilateral cooperation against smuggling, money laundering and other economic crimes is needed, including training police and building capacity. Recent political progress towards democratization should be encouraged as should national reconciliation to resolve Algeria's history of human rights atrocities.
35. We conclude that the re-election of President Bouteflika and withdrawal of the

Libya and the UK restored diplomatic relations and can look forward to further improvements in cultural, business and defense relations, assuming appropriate embassy facilities will support such efforts. Libya's renunciation of WMD programs was praised, particularly in demonstrating the degree of international cooperation. However, the Committee found no prospect of political reform in the near term. Since democracy is important in eradicating the roots of terrorism, this is a concern. Support for democratization and an end to human rights abuses should be encouraged.

In Morocco, the ongoing conflict over the Western Sahara is cited as being harmful to Morocco's regional and international relations and reputation and must be resolved. Regarding religious ideology, they "recommend that the Government consider the lessons of Moroccan efforts to regulate its mosques and religious teaching with a view to ending the negative effects of extreme Islamic teaching". "Morocco's strategic position on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, the country's status as a willing ally in the war against terrorism and the fact that Morocco represents a genuine success story in the pursuit of reform and moderation in the Arab world", make high-level meetings a priority.

The report warns that Morocco, as with other states in the region, is vulnerable to Islamist violence. Domestic factors such as the large informal economy, sprawling slums and the socio-economic needs of the population's falling living standards have not been addressed. These factors may have contributed to past violence and could inspire future attacks, therefore assistance in these areas is advisable. Such assistance can also recognize Morocco's achievements in democratization and human rights improvements.

Both of these reports address the unique situations facing each country in the Maghreb and Sahel, while reaching similar conclusions. To ensure these regions choose democracy over terrorism, it is necessary to deal with fundamental economic and social issues that are at the root of past and present violence. Alternately, failure to reward democratic efforts and an overemphasis on military investment, particularly where it comes at the expense of the local population, could push the balance in a negative direction.

Further Reading:

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