23 January 2013

Militant factions in Africa represent new face of terrorism, outside ‘command and control of al Qaeda’

The New York Times reports that militant factions in Africa represent a new face of terrorism — groups that are violently anti-American but not under the command and control of al Qaeda (AQ) leaders in Pakistan.

The increasing role of such groups was also noted by the independent inquiry into the attack on the United States diplomatic mission in Benghazi in September 2012. This inquiry had noted that the context in which the global terrorism threat, as most often represented by al Qaeda is ‘fragmenting and increasingly devolving to local affiliates and other actors who share many of AQ’s aims, including violent anti-Americanism, without necessarily being organized or operated under direct AQ command and control.’

Source: The New York Times | Panel Assails Role of State Department in Benghazi Attack
Source: The New York Times | North Africa Is a New Test