Some short weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal filed a report regarding the spread of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The report was timely, coming on the heels of Mauritania’s first suicide bombing and an uptick in the group’s attacks in Algeria and its activities elsewhere. The report noted that its newest recruits were [...]
Archive for August, 2009
Brainstorming the Geopolitics of AQIM’s Moorish Appeal
Posted in AQIM, Africa, Algeria, Arabs, Bad ass, Francophonie, Geopolitics, Islamism, Maghreb, Mali, Mauritania, Muslims, Niger, Sahel, Sunnis, Third World, balance of power, black people, culture, terrorism, tribalism, tagged Mauritania, Niger on 25 August, 2009 | 1 Comment »
On Obama’s Ramadan message
Posted in American Muslims, Islam, Muslims, Obama, Western Muslims, bigotry on 24 August, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
President Obama’s Ramadan message was, as his remarks to the Muslim world often are, at best well choreographed and well composed and at worst thoroughly disingenuous and problematic. As a part of the White House’s outreach to the Muslim world, it not only cross referenced the Cairo speech, and the president’s commitment to “a new [...]
A Man’s World? Mauritanian Islamists and female service
Posted in Africa, Arabs, Grand Strategy, Islamism, Maghreb, Mauritania, Muslims, Sahel, Third World, bigotry, politics on 17 August, 2009 | 7 Comments »
The Mauritanian government made history by appointing a woman, Naha Mint Hamdi Ould Mouknass, to the post of Foreign Minister. Ms. Bint Ould Mouknass is the first woman to hold the post in any Arabic-speaking country; she is joined by five other female appointees in General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz’s government.
Her background is straightforward enough. [...]
Post-bombing thoughts
Posted in AQIM, Africa, Algeria, Arabs, Francophonie, Geopolitics, Islamism, Libya, Maghreb, Mali, Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Multipolarity, Muslims, Obama, Qadhafi, Recently in Mauritania, Sahel, Third World, US, terrorism on 13 August, 2009 | 4 Comments »
With respect to General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz’s recent appeals to Western governments regarding fighting terrorism in Mauritania, the following should be recognized; all while noting American efforts at military cooperation with Libya, Ould Abdel Aziz’s meetings with the Iranian Foreign Minister and the region’s indigenous power relationships. It must be said, though, most Mauritanians [...]
Mauritania bombing update
Posted in AQIM, Africa, Algeria, Arabs, France, Francophonie, Islamism, Maghreb, Mali, Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Muslims, Recently in Mauritania, Sahel, Third World, religion, terrorism on 11 August, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Some updates on the attack in Mauritania. All things are pointing to AQIM, and it indicates a greater level of integration of the Mauritanian branch with the GSPC mainframe. It also shows the danger of the Mali camps and how poorly prepared the Mauritanian security forces have been for this kind of challenge.
Suicide bombing in Mauritania
Posted in AQIM, Africa, Arabs, France, Francophonie, Sahel, Third World, terrorism on 9 August, 2009 | 8 Comments »
Yesterday a suicide bombing — Mauritania’s first — seriously injured one Mauritanian and wounded two Frenchmen in Nouakchott. The attacker detonated at the foot of the “corner of death,” a spot known for traffic accidents, an uphill turn heading toward the French Embassy, but closer to the UAE and Libyan ones. His target was the [...]
Algerians and Chinese: Chinatown show down
Posted in AQIM, Africa, Algeria, Bouteflika, China, Maghreb, Recently in Algeria, Third World, culture, lumpenproletariat, terrorism on 8 August, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Algeria and China have quite fine relations. To say “Algeria and China” is to say the governments of the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria and the People’s Republic of China enjoy long and friendly relations. The PRC was the first country to recognize independent Algeria. Quite a few Algerian military officers, engineers and others [...]
Mauritania and American priorities
Posted in Africa, Ahmed Ould Daddah, Mauritania, Mauritania election 2009, Messoud Boulkheir, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Non-Allied, Recently in Mauritania, US, politics on 1 August, 2009 | 7 Comments »
Many members of the Mauritanian opposition and operatives clamor that the American position towards the new government is among the most crucial of those yet out: the French, Spanish, Moroccan, and most other responses were predictable. The Americans, having somewhat less at stake, could go in any direction. The American Embassy in Nouakchott released a [...]
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