Merchant of Death
Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible

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Is South Africa Al Qaeda's New Rearguard?
Intelligence officials in Europe are seeing increasing signs that South Africa, particularly Capetown, is becoming a hub for al Qaeda and other radical Islamist networks in Africa. They said there is growing evidence of al Qaeda operatives traveling through the country, there is some investment in the country and a nascent infrastructure being developed.

The tie is not new in al Qaeda, and several publications have covered some of the incidents that show the growing terrorist ties over time. But with al Qaeda's growing interest in Africa and its growing infrastructure, it is quietly building a rearguard area that can provide several useful facilities, including contacts with organized criminal groups across Africa (Nigeria particularly) and Latin America, and access to banking facilities.

It seems al Qaeda has been running some operatives through South Africa as an R&R location, as well as using the nation as a recruitment center. It also gives great access to much of the rest of Africa, including Tanzania and Kenya, where the previous al Qaeda structure has existed for more than a decade.

It is also in relative proximity to Somalia and the Islamist struggle there, which will almost surely be spilling out into neighboring countries, many also run by corrupt and incompetent governments.

It could be that the new interest in focusing some attention and resources on Africa have made the al Qaeda presence more visible, rather than al Qaeda greatly increasing its presence. But with the growing investment of Islamic banks on the continent, the growing presence of Islamist charities and the growth of the international Muslim Brotherhood it is clear that Africa, and particularly South Africa, are important places to watch closely.

POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
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