Al Qaida targets Morocco

In a worrying development, Moroccan officials claimed Al Qaida and their off-shoot groups have sent death threats to politicians and intellectuals. The officials said the recipients were those who supported the counter-insurgency campaign in Morocco and added that the security forces were taking the threats seriously.

One group, using the name "The Moroccan Islamic Army for Sharia," has threatened Mohammed Yazghi, secretary-general of the Socialist Union. Others who received the death threats included Idriss Lashgar, chairman of the socialist bloc in parliament and Finance Minister Fathallah Oualalou.

In another report, carried in the World Tribune, officials said Al Qaida has sought to replenish its ranks with veterans of the war in Afghanistan. They said Al Qaida planned to carry out attacks this month. According to Mohammed Al Rami, an expert on Al Qaida, "In theory, socialists are apostates but killing them is unlikely because of the absence of war with this group. Still, smaller groups might seize the initiative and implement these threats, as with the case of the murder of Jarallah Omar, the socialist leader in Yemen.”

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Mohammed Yazghi and Fathallah Oualalou



Tags: Morocco, Fès, Islam, Moroccan