Terror, it's that word again

The Maghreb’s bomb tally for the month has just risen to 7, with 38 dead.

Algeria, which has had a terrorist problem since its annulled 1991 election – which the Islamists won - has taken the brunt of the casualties.

Consider this and the news that a major Algerian terrorist group has merged into the al-Qaeda franchise (source) and the country looks increasingly like a new terrorist front line. One that is manned with around 800 highly skilled extremists who cut their teeth in the Afghanistan war – the “Afghani connection” (source 229).

Morocco - since the massive Casablanca bombs in 2003 - is also waking up to a growing terrorist threat.

The upsurge in attacks should not come as a surprise.

Way back in 2005, a UK Foreign Affairs Select Committee report, to which PI submitted evidence, implied that Algerian human rights abuses (source 246) and worsening Moroccan living standards (source 257) is helping to provide a climate for extremism.

The US is also worried, setting up anti-terrorist units in the Sahara (source) and the Germans only last February, issued an intelligence report predicting an Islamic terrorist revival in the region (source).

So take this new wave of bombings, add the fact that more than half of the accused in the Madrid train bombings were Moroccan (source), mix together with the large North African/European community and suddenly Europe has a sizable worry on her doorstep .

Traditionally the Maghreb has not been seen by the UK as diplomatically important but our continually blinkered foreign policy means we’re going to have grow eyes in the back of our head.

Read about yesterday’s attack.
Find out if you’re local youth club is a terrorist organisation.