Al Qaeda acquires weapons in Libya
11:51 • 05.04.11
Al Qaeda is exploiting the conflict in Libya to acquire weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, and smuggle them to a stronghold in northern Mali, Reuters reported, citing a senior security official in neighboring Algeria.
Western governments have demanded that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi step down after his forces cracked down on a revolt against his rule, but some governments in the region are nervous that al Qaeda could step into a power vacuum.
Algeria, which has been fighting al Qaeda's north African wing for years and closely monitors insurgent activity across north Africa and the Sahara, says there are already signs that this is happening.
Algeria's government has watched with concern as its eastern neighbors have been convulsed by popular uprisings, and is anxious that discontent over living conditions and limits on political freedoms could spark a similar revolt.
Security officials took the rare step of voicing their concerns about Libya to the foreign media because they are worried that events there could reverse their gains in keeping a lid on al Qaeda inside the country.
US officials said they were worried about reports of al Qaeda smuggling arms from Libya to Mali - and the State Department has raised its concerns with the Libyan opposition - but they could not immediately confirm such transfers.
The senior Algerian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a convoy of eight Toyota pick-up trucks left eastern Libya, crossed into Chad and then Niger, and from there into northern Mali where in the past few days it delivered a cargo of weapons.
The weapons included Russian-made RPG-7 anti-tank rocket-propelled grenades, Kalashnikov heavy machine guns, Kalashnikov rifles, explosives and ammunition, he said.
He also said he had information that Al Qaeda's north African wing, known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) had acquired from Libya Russian-made shoulder-fired Strela surface-to-air missiles known by the NATO designation SAM-7.
"We know that this is not the first convoy and that it is still ongoing," the official told Reuters.
"Several military barracks have been pillaged in this region (eastern Libya) with their arsenals and weapons stores and the elements of AQIM who were present could not have failed to profit from this opportunity."
"AQIM, which has maintained excellent relations with smugglers who used to cross Libya from all directions without the slightest difficulty, will probably give them the task of bringing it the weapons," said the official.
The official made no suggestion that the Libyan governemnt was supplying weapons to al Qaeda.
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