Vital Perspective

Report: al-Qaeda Aiming Towards Formation of Pan-Meghreb Terror Structure

Stratfor has released a breaking intelligence report indicating that GSPC, which recently swore allegiance to al-Qaeda, has been instructed to form a unified command with Morocco's Islamic Combatant Group, Libya's Islamic Fighting Group and several Tunisian groups, most notably the Tunisian Combatant Group. The new organization reportedly will be called The Union of the Arab Maghreb. Spanish newspaper El Periodico cited Spanish anti-terrorism intelligence sources in their report of this intelligence, who said the information regarding the creation of the new unified network was derived from a plan Moroccan police discovered in one of several raids over the summer.

The al-Qaeda concept of creating a unified group of "Qaedat al-Jihad in the Arab Maghreb Countries" is not new. Moroccan authorities discovered plans for such a union in late 2005, when raids targeting several suspected militants turned up messages sent by leaders in the region to Osama bin Laden. In those messages, leaders reportedly discussed a plan for the GSPC to officially join al-Qaeda and then unite jihadists in the Maghreb countries -- in many ways conforming to the pattern established by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who united jihadists in Jordan and Iraq. Significantly, the GSPC effort would also strive to unite North African militants living in Europe into a cohesive paramilitary entity.

El Periodico's report would seem to confirm that plans for the pan-Maghreb merger have proceeded. Other signs of traction came from Ayman al-Zawahiri, who said in a September 11, 2006, message that GSPC had joined forces with al-Qaeda in a union he hoped would be "a thorn in the neck of the American and French Crusaders and their allies, and an arrow in the heart of the French traitors and apostates." Al-Zawahiri went on to say, "We ask Allah to help our brothers of the GSPC to hit the foundations of the Crusader alliance, primarily their old leader the infidel United States, praise be on Allah." On September 13, GSPC acknowledged the merger on its Web site with a message from its emir, Abu Musab Abd al-Wadoud, who wrote that, "We have full confidence in the faith, the doctrine, the method and the modes of action of [al-Qaeda's] members, as well as their leaders and religious guides."

Understanding 5,000 Years of Imperial History in the Middle East in 90 Seconds

Here's something interesting we found over at Evangelical Outpost. Ever wondered who has controlled the Middle East over the course of history? This great animation takes you through the last 5,000 years in just 90 seconds.

Moroccan Takes First Prize in Anti-Semitic Holocaust Cartoon Contest in Iran

Moroccan cartoonist Abdellah Derkaoui has won first prize in a Holocaust Cartoon Contest, which had sparked outrage in Israel, the West and among Jewish groups. The contest was run in Iran's best-selling newspaper, Hamshahri, in retaliation for publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish and other European newspapers.

In September, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the exhibition and said the Holocaust was an undeniable historical fact. "We should be careful not to say anything that is used as an excuse for incitement to hatred or violence," he said.

Derkaoui won $12,000. The second prize, worth $8,000, went jointly to French and Brazilian cartoonists. The third-placed competitor was an Iranian cartoonist. Organizers said some 1,193 drawings had been received from 62 countries including some European states where it is a crime to deny the Holocaust.

UN Human Rights Council to Meet on 'Gross Human Rights Violations by Israel'

Late yesterday, we'd heard that the Tunisian government, which chairs the group of Arab States, had requested a special session of the new UN Human Rights Council to "consider and take action on the gross human rights violations by Israel in Lebanon, including the Qana massacre, county-wide targeting of innocent civilians, and destruction of vital civilian infrastructure."

We've now been able to confirm that the request has been made, and that the session is in the logistical planning stages. The countries signing on to the Tunisian request were Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Senegal, Pakistan, China, Russia, Cuba, South Africa and Azerbaijan.

132 Egyptian Migrants Deported by Malta

A large number of would-be migrants who arrived in Malta two weeks ago were deported to Egypt, their home country, in two groups yesterday and last Saturday. None claimed refugee status upon their arrival in Malta.

They had been part of a group of 185 who were rescued from a boat by the Armed Forces of Malta on the night of February 5, 19 nautical miles to the southwest of the island. Among them were four women, one of whom was pregnant, and 16 minors. Besides Egyptians on the boat there were also a number of Moroccans.

They were believed to have left Libya on a 50-foot fishing boat and had already passed by Malta, but the boat started taking in water and drifting in the island's search and rescue region.