The GSPC: Newest Franchise in al-Qa'ida's Global Jihad
Abstract
The GSPC, one of the most notorious terrorist groups in North Africa, has aligned with Al Qa ida and changed its name to The Organization of al Qa ida in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb. On April 10, 2007, the new organization claimed credit for two suicide car bomb attacks in Algiers that killed 23 people. Some observers have speculated that North Africa may be the next safe haven for al Qa ida, and that European countries may face a greater risk of attack if Algerian terrorist groups expand their base of support in Europe. The alignment of the GSPC with al Qa ida represents a significant change in the group's strategy, however, its decision to join al Qa ida's global jihad should be understood as an act of desperation. The Groupe Salafist pour la Pr dication et le Combat (GSPC) was founded in 1998 as an offshoot of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). The GIA was one of the strongest and most violent groups fighting the Algerian government in a civil war that killed over a hundred thousand civilians. Operating as a guerilla army, the GIA was able to establish control over large areas of the Algerian countryside by using terrorism against civilian populations. GIA fighters executed "and sometimes beheaded" anyone suspected of collaborating with the police or gendarmerie. By the late 1990's, the group had lost momentum as government crackdowns reduced its numbers while the group's own hyper violent tactics alienated the Algerian population.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA466539
Entities
People
- Lianne K. Boudali
Organizations
- United States Military Academy