By William Thornberry and Jaclyn Levy. Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 2011.
Instability in North Africa provides new opportunity for al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to expand its influence and criminal operations, including in Algeria. As AQIM’s illegal activity in kidnapping and smuggling has expanded, it has become a self-sustaining organization and attractive to recruits seeking economic opportunity. Algerian counterterror efforts should be broadened to combat narcotrafficking and to constrict the flow of terrorist money and the group’s ability to acquire weapons and recruits.
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