Obama Declares End to War As Al-Qaeda Goes on Recruiting Spree
Al-Qaida branch's image soars after hostage drama in Algeria
As American troops prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan in the next two years, ending a conflict that started as an effort to crush al-Qaida after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Washington and other Western capitals face the grim threat of a virulent new al-Qaida wing capable of a broad reach.
U.S. officials and terrorism analysts are pointing to last week's hostage drama in eastern Algeria as a turning point for the al-Qaida offshoot, boosting its credibility while marking its transition from a predominantly Algeria-focused organization to a true multinational threat able to draw manpower, weapons and resources from across the region
Libyan Connection to al-Qaeda Attack on BP Natural Gas Facility – Three Americans Dead
This CNN report alleges “there is a Libyan connection” to the al-Qaeda attack in Algeria on BP’s natural gas facility. Three al-Qaeda training camps in Libya are less than 30 miles from the complex, and it is believed al-Qaeda in Libya likely crossed into Algeria.
The State Department confirmed earlier Friday that Americans are still being held hostage at the Algerian gas factory seized by Islamists earlier this week, though the number of hostages being held is unclear. United States officials said they will not participate in any kind of exchange with the terrorists to free the Americans.
"The terrorist attacks in Benghazi are part of a broader strategic challenge to America and our partners in North Africa," Clinton told the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday afternoon.
Clinton offered an unusually bleak take, for this administration, on the "Arab Spring," saying the regional move toward democracy has also sent the Middle East and North Africa into a new period of turbulence "shattering security forces across the region" while northern Mali has become a safe haven for terrorist organizations.
