Terrorism in the Maghreb: the transnationalisation of domestic terrorism

International developments and challenges and domestic circumstances predominately fuel domestic terrorism. This is particularly true when assessing the 'renewed' threat of terrorism in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. This monograph places the threat and implication of the name change announcement of the Salafist Group for Combat and Preaching (GSPC) to al-Qa’eda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb (AQLIM) in context, with the primary focus on events in 2007. The name change in itself implied that the original domestic group had transnational ambitions. The author considers what influenced this decision and what the consequences might be.

The document provides an overview of the scope of analysis, definitions of terrorism as provided by regional organisations, and the legal approaches of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in dealing with the threat of terrorism. The main focus is on the GSPC structure and activities. Specific acts of terrorism are examined including the suicide bombings in Casablanca in 2003. The author provides insight into the spread, threat and impact of extremists originally from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in emerging networks in Europe. An assessment of the counter-terrorism strategies initiated by the three countries is additionally provided. Finally a number of alarming trends which the author argues need immediate attention are highlighted. These include:

• the development of small cells, sometimes limited to families, means that cells may become more difficult to infiltrate and to monitor than the previously more structured organisations
• it is almost impossible to profile a suicide bomber. While there may be some commonalities, there is a need to recognise the importance of human nature, individual personalities and circumstances
• multiple levels of society are being targeted. This includes individuals from all walks of life
• in aligning themselves with al-Qa’eda, groups and individuals are revealing another trend, which is that those who have been traditionally motivated by domestic causes and grievances are increasingly aligning themselves with transnational terror networks and principles.