Yemen: Suicide bomber kills 45 in Abyan

Yemen's government has blamed al-Qa'ida for a suicide bombing that has claimed at least 45 lives in the southern province of Abyan. Dozens more people were injured in the attack on a funeral in the city of Jaar.

It is thought that the bomber detonated an explosive belt during the service held by a tribal militia that supported the army during recent fighting.

In a statemtn, local governor Jamal al-Aqal said that an investigation had been opened into the "criminal and cowardly" attack on the service. According to an unnamed witness: "Bodies were flying in all directions because the explosion was so powerful."

Earlier this year, Yemen's army carried out a major offensive against Islamist militants in Abyan, taking control of the region in June with the help of civilian militias comprised of local tribesmen.

The latest attack, however, has raised fears that Ansar al-Sharia remains active in the area. Groups belonging to the al-Qa'ida have taken advantage of the security vacuum in the country, which began during a year of protests against the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Upon taking power the new President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi pledged his forces would crush the militants, but it seems the fight is ongoing.

The US has used its drones in the region to support the military campaign. According to Yemeni officials, just days ago, five alleged al-Qa'ida militants were killed in a suspected US drone strike. The drone reportedly targeted their vehicle in Hadramawt.

Sources: Agence France-Presse, BBC News, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Yemen: At least 63 dead in suicide bomb attack in Sana'a

According to Yemeni officials, at least 63 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack during a rehearsal for a military parade in Sana'a. A suicide bomber, reportedly wearing an army uniform, detonated a bomb among a group of soldiers at al-Sabin Square, near the presidential palace.

Witnesses reported that the remains of the victims were scattered across the Square, as ambulances rushed to the area to take the dozens of wounded to hospital. This latest attack has been the deadliest in the capital since President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi took power in February.

In recent months, there have been almost daily casualties in battles in the mountainous southern desert and towns between government forces, backed by US military advisers, and militants linked to al-Qa'ida. Sana'a, however, has been relatively quiet up to now. Some suggest that the latest attack is a message to the new president the he can expect more confrontations between the army and the militants.

Speaking about the incident, Col Amin al-Alghabati said: “We were in a parade, suddenly there was a huge explosion. Dozens of our men were killed. We tried to help them…The suicide bomber was dressed in a military uniform. He had a belt of explosives underneath.”

Yemen's Defence Minister Nasser Ahmed and the army chief-of-staff were reportedly in the Square at the time, but were not hurt. According to medical officials quoted by AFP news agency at least 96 soldiers had been killed and 300 wounded, who they said were being treated in seven hospitals across Sana'a.

Yemeni military personnel had been practising for a parade for National Unity Day on Tuesday 22nd May, which marks the anniversary of the 1990 unification of the Marxist People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, also known as South Yemen, and the Yemen Arab Republic, known as North Yemen.

Today's attack comes just over a week after the military launched an offensive against Islamist militants linked to al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in the southern province of Abyan.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, AFP

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Deadly blasts hit Iraq

A number of deadly bomb attacks have hit several Iraqi cities, reportedly killing 23 people and injuring many others. According to the police, explosions were reported in Baghdad, Baquba, Kirkuk, Samarra, Dibis and Taji.

It appears that the security forces appear to be the main target. Iraq has seen an overall decline in violence in recent years, but isolated bomb attacks remain prevalent. According to the BBC, a number of attacks have been co-ordinated. They reportedly occurred in the following cities:

In Baghdad, a succession of at least five bomb blasts hit in various Shi'a neighbourhoods
Two car bombs reportedly went off in Kirkuk, 290km north of Baghdad
A suicide bomber killed a police officer in Baquba
Two car bombs targeted security forces in Samarra
A parked car exploded killing passers-by in Dibis
A roadside device exploded in Taji.
The bomb blasts, which ensued over a period of an hour and a half, also appear to have targeted the convoy of Health Minister Majeed Hamad Amin. The official was not injured.

According to Baghdad's military command spokesman Col Dhia al-Wakeel the attacks bore all the hallmarks of al-Qa'ida. He said: "They want to send a message that they can target the stability that has been achieved recently...This will not discourage our security forces."

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, WSJ

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

Yemeni security forces are targeting al'Qa'ida militants in the south

According to Yemeni officials, about 40 al-Qa'ida militants have been killed in a number of air raids in the mountainous part of the south. It is believed that the government forces have taken hold of an al-Qa'ida base of al-Rahha after three days of attacks. The strikes follow an assault on a nearby army base that left 30 people dead.

Since President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February, militant groups have renewed attacks across the country.

Reports about the number of militants killed vary. One unnamed Yemeni official told AFP news agency that 38 militants had died, while another said 43 people had been killed.

Militant groups have taken advantage of on-going political turmoil and protests. In particular, a group connected to the al-Qa'ida called Ansar al-Sharia has been increasing its influence in southern Yemen over the past year.

The US has been encouraging the Yemeni authorities to fortify their efforts in tackling militant activities, as well as reportedly intensifying its own drone strikes. But the on-going tension within the country's political and military establishments is stifling the new government's efforts to curtain and control the militants.

Sources: AFP, BBC News, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Iraq: Militant groups run extortion rackets

The parliamentary Security and Defence Committee revealed further details of the murky world of Iraq's militant movements this month. The committee reported that it had uncovered a series of extortion rackets being run by militant groups, some of them linked to Al-Qa'ida, in a number of governorates including Ninevah, Al-Anbar and Salehedinne. These militants are systematically blackmailing government officials and local businessmen. Police in Ninevah confirmed this month that they had arrested 13 members of a cell that was forcing officials from local government departments to pay up.

Among those targeted by these gangs are officials in the Oil Ministry. In particular, Oil Ministry employees working in these three governorates are being forced to hand over oil tankers to the militants, which they then sell on. What is even more disconcerting about the parliamentary committee's findings is that they discovered that while many of these officials are being forced to supply money to the militant groups, others are co-operating willingly. The committee announced that it has the names of a number of local government officials who have been helping to finance the groups. Such news only confirms existing suspicions about state institutions being infiltrated by members of or, at the very least, those who are sympathetic to the militant groups that are once again proliferating now that US troops have withdrawn.

'Emo' killings

In another sinister turn of events, it came to light this month that armed Islamist groups operating primarily in Baghdad have taken to carrying out brutal attacks against teenagers they deem to be deviating from the 'straight path'. According to local sources, over 100 young people have been killed by these groups, with the most common form of death being hit over the head by concrete blocks. Some of the youth were clearly tortured before being killed. Security forces in Al-Sadr city in Baghdad reported this month that they had found the corpse of a young male, whose body showed signs of torture.

All those killed were labelled as 'emos' – a term to denote young people who listen to punk-like music, who dress in black, often with tattoos and piercings, and who generally adopt a melancholy disposition. Emo males often have long spiky hair and sometimes wear make-up, while emo females tend to adopt an edgy attitude. These young people appear to the Islamist militants as the very epitome of westernisation and degeneration. There is also a strong fear that their habit of sporting skulls and piercings indicate that these emos are somehow involved in devil worship.

The attacks are believed to be the work of an armed underground religious group that goes by the name of the Wrath Brigades and that accuses its victims of 'sexual deviation'. The Shi'ite extremist group recently published a list containing dozens of names of emos, who they threatened to kill. It also went as far as to upload videos of killings on YouTube. The wave of attacks has terrified families in Baghdad to the point where young people who do not conform to conservative codes of dress are afraid to leave their homes.

The Interior Ministry has done its utmost to quell the fear: it has played down the attacks, insisting that no more than 15 teenagers were killed. It also asserted that they were killed because of social reasons related to revenge rather than because they were 'emos'. The Shi'ite religious establishment, meanwhile, has banned the killing of these young people. However, for all it may have condemned the killings, it seems as though the government may also be behind the push to eliminate the emo phenomenon. One young emo student told the

Al-Mada newspaper that she had been told by the head of her university faculty to remove a necklace she was wearing that was in the shape of a skull and to change her way of dressing. After asking her why she wanted to make herself look like a devil-worshipper, the professor reportedly showed her a memorandum from the Higher Education Ministry, which is run by the Dawa party's Ali Al- Adeeb, who is known to be particularly rigid religiously.

The memorandum from the ministry reportedly referred to emos as 'Satan worshippers' and instructed members of staff to monitor their students to root out any possible emo cases. The memorandum also instructed university staff to remove emo accessories, to punish offenders and to report their names to the ministry. This memorandum comes on the back of two statements reportedly issued by the Interior Ministry, the first of which announced official approval to “eliminate the Satanists” while the second, published on 29 February, announced a crackdown on shops selling emo clothes.

While it is not directly involved in the killings, it would appear that there may be a kind of tacit approval among some parts of the government for the Wrath Brigades' actions. There are clearly those in the Iraqi establishment who view the emo phenomenon as a dangerous challenge to the country's conservative and religious values.

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

© 2012 Menas Associates

Security tight in Baghdad for Arab summit

Over 100,000 security guards have been deployed to Baghdad days before an Arab League summit. Airspace around the city has been closed until Thursday 29 March, and security personnel are already patrolling the streets and stop-searching vehicles.

The meeting is expected to focus on the crisis in Syria, but the occasion will also be a test for Iraq's government following the on-going violence of recent months. There have been a number of bomb attacks across the country since US troops withdrew at the end of December 2011.

Over 50 people were killed in the most recent series of co-ordinated attacks on Tuesday, the deadliest of which struck the cities of Karbala and Kirkuk.

It is estimated that between $400-500million have been spent refurbishing facilities and on security measures as this is an opportunity for Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to show how the country is progressing since US troops left last year.

The focus of the main meeting itself is likely to be Syria and what further pressure Arab leaders can put on the government of Bashar al-Assad, who has not been invited.

National security official Safa Hussein told the AFP news agency that the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group that includes al-Qa'ida in Iraq, was planning an attack, but added: "We think security will go well."

Sources: BBC News, Bloomberg, AFP

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

Yemen: Defence Minister Mohamed Nasser Ali escapes attack

Yemeni authorities have said that the country's Defence Minister Maj Gen Mohamed Nasser Ali escaped an attack on his convoy in the city of Aden. It is thought that a suicide bomber drove a vehicle full of explosive into the defence minister's convoy while others attacked by hurling hand grenades.

It is estimated that at least three soldiers were killed and nine others injured. The ongoing political turmoil in the country has given rise to outbreaks of violence. Yemen now faces serious security hurdles, including fighting between various ethnic factions and a surge in attacks by the Al-Qa'ida.

Islamist fighters connected to the Al-Qa'ida have taken advantage of Yemen's insecurity during the ongoing unrest and fighting between anti-government protesters and supporters of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Three months after an attempt on his life, Saleh returned to Yemen from Saudi Arabia on Friday 23rd September. Just hours after his return, a government spokesman said the president was calling for a “truce and a ceasefire.” But protests urging him to step down are still taking place in cities across the country.

It is yet unclear who carried out the attack on Ali's convoy, but one official told AFP news agency that the defence minister's convoy was hit as it left a tunnel on the way back to his hotel.

Ali was on an official visit to Aden, following reports that militants have recently taken control of three towns in the Abyan province. The Yemeni army has been deployed to the region in order to gain control of the territory.

Sources: BBC News, AFP, Bloomberg

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Egyptian pipeline under attack once again

Yet another attack on a pipeline carrying gas to Israel and Jordan has been reported by the Egyptian authorities. A witness told Reuters news agency that three men opened fire at a pumping station near the town of El-Arish, in northern Egypt, 50km from the Israeli border.

Attacks on the pipeline have been more frequent this year than at any other period in the past. This reportedly due to the sale of Egyptian gas to Israel, which some groups vehemently opposed. There have also been allegations that under former president Hosni Mubarak gas prices for the 20-year deal signed in 2008 were set at very low rates.

Unnamed Egyptian officials said that an initial assessment of the situation indicated that the gunmen had planted explosives at the station. One of the officials blamed the attack on "extremist militants inspired by Al-Qa'ida".

Three lines branch out from the pumping station: one to Israel, a second one to Jordan and a third to Egypt's domestic market. The Egyptian and Jordanian lines were shut down following the attack. The Israeli pipeline has not been operating since an attack in July.

Last month, Egypt's government deployed thousands of troops to the region as part of a campaign to contain the explosive situation after an assault on a police station by masked militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons killed five people and injured 28 others.

Sources: BBC News, ETaiwan News, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

Video of suspected bomber who attacked Abuja UN headquarters circulating around Nigeria

It has been reported that a video message featuring a suicide bomber who allegedly carried out the attack on UN headquarters last month is circulating within Nigeria. Islamist group Boko Haram claimed the attack, which killed 23 people and injured more than 80 others.

The video obtained by AFP news agency is yet to be verified. It contains 25 minutes of speech by the alleged UN bomber holding an AK-47 automatic rifle, with two other people in the background. It also reportedly shows the alleged bomber pleading with his family to appreciate his actions, meant to teach the US “and other infidels” a lesson.

In the 26th August attack; a suicide bomber drove his car through the Abuja headquarters' security barriers crashing into the reception area before the explosion. The blasts brought down parts of the structure, where about 400 UN staff worked, also shattering the widows of nearby buildings.

A man claiming to be a spokesman for Boko Haram reportedly told AFP the suspected bomber was Mohammed Abul Barra, a 27 year-old married man from Maiduguri. The video also contains a reference to the UN headquarters as a "forum of all the global evil", and praise for former Al-Qa'ida leader Osama Bin Laden.

Boko Haram is fighting for the establishment of Sharia law across Nigeria, it has alleged to have connections with the Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in North Africa and Al-Shabab in Somalia.

Sources: BBC News, AFP, AP

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

More than 50 killed in Sana'a over last two days

According to a number of sources, explosions all over Sana'a were heard throughout the night. It is thought that at least two people died during clashes with security forces, who continue firing shells at protester camps in Yemen's capital.

The country's security troops launched an offensive on protesters on Sunday 18th September, killing more than 50 people in two days. Congregations of anti-government activists have occupied various corners of Sana'a during the course of the year, calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

Saleh, who has been in power for over three decades, is currently in Saudi Arabia. He fled to the neighbouring country in June after sustaining various injuries when a rocket hit his presidential compound. Despite a number of calls for Saleh to step down, the Yemeni president remains in power and has continually vowed to return to Yemen.

The ongoing violence has been exacerbated in the last couple of days by security forces shooting at protesters from the rooftops. Government officials, however, have continued to deny that soldiers are targeting civilians, saying the unrest has been incited by Al-Qa'ida elements within the opposition.

More protests and deadly clashes between security forces and civilians have been reported in the cities of Taiz and Aden. Yemen has been plagued by internal problems and poverty for decades, as well as rampant terrorism.

On Monday 19th September, UN and Gulf Cooperation Council envoys landed in Yemen in a bid to sort out a ceasefire deal and stop the violence. It is yet to be seen whether or not the mission will be successful.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, AFP

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

EU's counterterrorism co-ordinator Gilles de Kerchove has warned that Al-Qa'ida's North African branch is extending across Africa, and said that local governments require greater support in fighting it.

During a conference about security across the vast Sahel region, Saharan countries pledged to continue working together in the fight against terrorism.

Algeria's state news agency APS, quoted de Kerchove as saying that Algeria was well equipped to fight against Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) but added that “other countries of the region, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, need help." He also warned that AQIM is working together with many terrorist organisation across Africa in order to extend its reach.

De Kerchove noted: "This is something that the intelligence services are following very closely. There is still nothing structural. There are efforts at contacts, and small transfers of money…It seems that some members of Boko Haram (in Nigeria) and al-Shabaab (in Somalia) were trained by AQIM."

Niger's Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum, however, has said that so far the collaborative efforts of the four-country joint military body based in the Algerian town of Tamanrasset have been unsuccessful. Speaking to Liberte, in reference to the Committee of Joint Chiefs of the four countries - Algeria, Niger, Mali and Mauritania, founded in 2010, Bazoum said: "So far, we have not seen it execute a single concrete operation. We would like CEMOC to carry out concrete actions."

Speaking at the closing of the even, Algeria's Minister for North African affairs Abdelkader Messahel noted: "The Algiers conference lets the countries of the region show their partners abroad that they possess a true strategy and unified vision for their struggle against terrorism, organized crime and poverty."

AQIM comprises largely of the armed groups who fought the Algerian government in the 1990s, after elections were cancelled in 1991 to stave off a victory for an Islamist political party. The group declared allegiance to Al-Qa'ida in 2006 and embarked on a renewed campaign of bombings and kidnappings across the Sahara.

On 1st September, the group announced that it had killed 29 members of Algeria's security forces between July and August, including 18 in twin suicide bombings of the Algerian military academy at Cherchell on 26th August. It is thought that it subsidises its terror campaigns with money obtained through ransoms from kidnappings and smuggling of guns and drugs through the Sahara.

Although Algeria is keen to show off its efforts to counteract AQIM's activities many remain unconvinced. An Algerian journalist with a background in security issues, Anis Rahmani, called on the government to find a radical solution in order to curtail AQIM's movements. Speaking at the conference, he said: “Talking about the experience of Algeria in the fight against terrorism does not mean that this country controls it.”

Sources: Ennahar Online, Fox News, Voice of America

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

Nigeria: SSS reports provisional findings on UN bomb

The State Security Services (SSS) have released a statement on their findings regarding the bombing of the UN office complex in the federal capital Abuja on 26th August.

According to the statement, released by SSS spokesperson Marilyn Ogar, “On 18th of August 2011, precise intelligence was obtained by this Service that some Boko Haram elements were on a mission to attack unspecified targets in Abuja”.

According to the statement, on 21st August at around 1300 hours, a joint operation by all security services had led to the arrest of two Boko Haram leaders now believed to be involved in planning the bombing, namely Babagana Ismail Kwaljima (a.k.a Abu Summaya) and Babagana Mali (a.k.a Bulama). However, their detention was not sufficient to prevent the attack five days later.

According to the SSS, the men are currently being held at a military facility and have made “valuable statements”.

Further investigation by security agents confirmed reports that Al-Qa'ida has made incursions into the Boko Haram sect. According to the SSS, the mastermind of the UN bomb blast is one Mamman Nur, described as “a notorious Boko Haram element with Al-Qa'ida links who recently returned from Somalia”.

Nur, who has been declared 'wanted' is said to have worked in concert with two other suspects in masterminding the bomb blast.

The UN complex, which is located in the high security diplomatic area of Abuja, was bombed at around 10.45 on 26th August by a suspected suicide bomber or bombers, who apparently drove through the exit barriers of the building in an explosives-laden SUV, and into the front office wall of the building, setting off the explosives.

So far, 23 people have been confirmed dead in the blast, 18 of whom died at the scene, with the other five dying in hospital later. Thirty-two victims are still receiving treatment.

The UN has confirmed that ten of the dead were UN staff, and nine of them were Nigerians. The US' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been drafted in by the UN to assist and lead the investigations into the bombing. According to UN Under-Secretary for Safety and Security Gregory Starr, the investigation nevertheless remains under the control of the Nigerian government.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Double bomb blast kills seven in Ramadi

Two bomb blast in the city of Ramadi have killed at least seven people and left 13 injured. According to Iraqi officials, the bombs went off in quick succession at approximately 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT).

Some of the victims of the second bomb were police officers, who were on the scene investigating the first blast. Ramadi was once an Al-Qa'ida stronghold but now militant attacks are intermittent.

The latest attacks come amid a surge of violence across Iraq. On Wednesday 3rd August, a bomb killed a policeman at Al-Rusafa prison and a general was stabbed to death at his home. Three policemen were also killed when a bomb went off near in Bghdad on Tuesday 2nd August. More deadly attacks were reported in Mosul and Kirkuk in the north, and in Hilla, south of Baghdad.

Just days ago, a new report issued by the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart W. Bowen Junior showed that the security situation in the country is more dangerous than it was a year ago.

Bowen noted an increase in violence and attacks across Iraq as the US military prepares to withdraw its troops. The remainder 47,000 US troops are expected to leave Iraq by the end of the year, despite fears that Iraqi security forces may not be able to cope.

Sources: BBC News, Xinhua, CNN

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

British national killed in Aden car bomb explosion

A car explosion in the city of Aden has killed a British national. According to witnesses, the man's car exploded when he got in and started the engine. Another man was wounded.

An unnamed Yemeni official said the bomb was hidden under the vehicle. He said Al-Qa'ida is suspected to be behind the attack, adding: "The way the attack took place only proves that Al-Qa'ida has been watching his moves days prior to the attack.”

Speaking about the explosion to AFP news agency, another witness, Abdullah Al-Sharafi, described the aftermath, saying: "I heard the explosion, I hurried there and I found the car in pieces."

The UK Foreign Office confirmed a British national had been killed and advised British citizens not to travel to Yemen, urging all those who are there to "maintain a heightened level of vigilance and keep a low profile at all times…We believe that terrorists continue to threaten further attacks including in Sana'a, Aden and other urban areas."

Sources: BBC News, AFP, CNN

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Foreign officials visit Algeria

The two main and related stories which have dominated this week's news have been the visits to Algeria of France's Foreign Minister Alain Juppé and the visit of a US 'military-political' delegation led by Mark Adams, a senior adviser with the US State Department's Bureau of Political and Military Affairs. Juppé's visit was the first visit of a French foreign minister to Algeria since Bernard Kouchner visited in May 2008.

Both visits - that of the French and the Americans - are follow-ups designed to further cement the 'package' deal between the three countries (US, France and Algeria) that we explained three weeks ago.

The US visit, designed to work with the Algerians in identifying and confirming the threat posed by the weapons flow from Libya to 'terrorists' (i.e. AQIM) in the Sahel, has already run into trouble.

The Americans' arrival in Algiers on Sunday 12th June coincided, most extraordinarily, with a highly publicised engagement between a convoy carrying Libyan armaments, mostly explosives and detonators, and the Niger army. The incident was portrayed as 'proof' of the al-Qa'ida threat.

We have now received highly reliable information from Niger of the identity of the main trafficker involved. He is an individual who is not only well known to us, but even better known to the DRS, with whom he is well associated. In short, this latest piece of 'evidence' of the al-Qa'ida threat, like so much else in the region, is, in fact, nothing more than evidence of the continued exaggeration and duplicity over the security and counter-terrorism situation in the entire north-west African region.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Algiers' central role in Sahel's escalating security chaos

An extremely complex and potentially very serious state of affairs is fast developing in the Sahel, focusing primarily on Mali, but extending through Mauritania and Niger and, increasingly, Chad.

Full details and analysis of this situation will be provided in the June issue of Sahara Focus. The main points are:

There has been the appearance of a rapprochement between Algeria and these Sahelian states over the course of the last two or three months. This has been largely coerced by external powers, namely the EU and the US.
In October 2010, the EU Foreign Affairs Council, concerned by AQIM activity in the Sahel, placed the region at the top of its security agenda. It then commissioned a very detailed in-depth report on the region, which was researched and written by the author of Menas Associates' Algeria Politics & Security.
This report highlighted the role of Algeria, through its links with AQIM, in the Sahel's destabilisation. Although the full report has not been published, its key points were 'leaked' to Algeria, with the implicit message that its position in the Sahel could be undercut by EU intervention.
A similar message was relayed to Algeria by the US, which is not pleased with either Algeria's support for Libya's Colonel Mu'ammar Qadhafi, its increasing belligerency towards and falling out with almost all its neighbours, and its over-hyping and exaggeration of the Al-Qa'ida threat in the region.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Bloody siege in Tikrit masterminded by suspected Al-Qa'ida militants

Iraqi officials have said that the bloody siege in the town of Tikrit, the capital of the Salahuddin province, was masterminded by suspected Al-Qa'ida militants. It is estimated that more than 50 people were killed in a fierce gun-battle, which ended when the attackers blew themselves up.

The siege, which to took place near a local government building, left about 100 people injured. Local government officials and an Iraqi journalist were among those killed in the attack, which began at 1300 local time (1000 GMT) and lasted several hours.

Masked gunmen wearing military uniforms blew up a car outside the council headquarters to create a diversion, then raided the building and shot more than a dozen people, including three lawmakers.

The northern provinces of Salahuddin, Diyala and Ninewa continue to be attacked by insurgents. Speaking about the latest one, Salahuddin Governor Ahmed Abdullah said it was "a tragic incident carried out by ruthless terrorists".

Sources: BBC News, Washington Post, AP

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

Arms factory death toll rises

Reports have emerged that the death toll from the arms factory explosion in the southern town of Jaar has more than double from 70 to 150 people. The incident has caused an outcry of anger from the locals, who have accused the Yemeni government of staging the blasts and blaming them of the Al-Qa'ida in a bid to gain sympathy from the international community.

The death toll is based on the number of bodies found among the rubble, and the people reported missing. A local official said some bodies were burned beyond recognition. The blasts occurred while locals were searching for ammunition left behind by suspected Al-Qa'ida militants who had reportedly raided the factory on Sunday 27th March.

News of the explosion quickly spread across the country, prompting hundreds of people to take to the streets in Aden. A statement released by the opposition group Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) accused President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his cronies of plotting with the al-Qa'ida “in a desperate attempt…to prove that he was right when he said that Yemen is a ticking time bomb, that he is the only one who can prevent it from blowing up".

Inspired by the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia, Yemeni people took to the streets in protest to poor living conditions and unemployment but are now demanding that Saleh step-down immediately, saying his power is a danger to the country and its people.

Sources: BBC News, Dawn, Kyiv Post

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Explosions in an arms factory leave at least 70 dead

A series of explosion in an ammunition factory in the southern town of Jaar has killed at least 70 people and left many injured. According to a number of reports, the factory had recently been seized by Islamist militants that clashed with Yemen's security forces on Sunday 27th March.

Government officials have said they expect the death toll to rise as victims were still being recovered from beneath the rubble. The factory, in the Khanfar area, makes munitions and Kalashnikov rifles.

Over the last few weeks, Yemen has been shaken by political turmoil and an upraising which seems to be gaining momentum with eatch day. Inspired by the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia, Yemeni people took to the streets demanding better living conditions, employment opportunities and more political freedom.

Yemen has been plagued by security issues including Al-Qa'ida activity, members of which are said to have looted the factory while taking control of Jaar. The cause of the explosion remains unclear.

Sources: BBC News, Aljazeera, Reuters, Ynet News

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

No Al-Qa'ida presence in the Libyan revolution

The US has reported that, despite fears of Al-Qa'ida presence in the opposition, rebelling against long- term leader Colonel Mu'ammar Qadhafi, it has found no evidence to support such suspicions. The US began gathering intelligence when anti-Qadhafi rebels started seizing towns in eastern Libya last month.

Speaking about the exercise, a US counter-terrorism official said: "We're keeping an eye out for extremist activity in Libya, but we haven't seen much, if any, to date.”

Eastern Libya has always been synonymous with Islamic militants, with the vast majority coming from Benghazi and nearby Derna. The US is, therefore, concerned that long-term instability may prove a fertile breeding ground for Al-Qa'ida and its subsidiaries. There is no concrete evidence, however, to suggest this may be the case.

In the past, Qadhafi has always claimed that eastern Libya has long been dominated by Al-Qa'ida, a charge vehemently contested by opposition leaders in the region. With most of Libya's domestic Islamists in prison, the anti-Qadhafi revolution is being led by ordinary people.

Speaking about it, Menas Associates Managing Director Charles Gurdon said: “Although Libya's revolution has very broad support in Cyrenaicia, its leadership structure is loose and unwieldy and includes, secular technocrats and intellectuals; more conservative tribal and religious leaders; representatives of the youth population; and some officials and military officers who defected from the regime.”

Sources: Los Angeles Times, Bellingham Herald, The Business Insider

For more news and expert analysis about Libya, please see Libya Focus and Libya Politics & Security.