Terrorism in North Africa

Today in Rabat, Morocco two suicide bombers blew themselves up. This suicide attack occurred near an American cultural center in Casablanca. The bombing comes three days after another attack in Algiers, and four days after other bombing near Casablanca. The bombing in Algiers killed 33 people and injured more than 200. The attacks have been claimed by an Al Qaeda linked group. Admidst these latest attacks new fears of terrorism in North Africa have emerged.

Morocco is a longtime Muslim kingdom that has remained relatively stable despite ongoing internal strife in neighboring Algeria. Morocco's stability was originally broken when in May of 2003 five suicide bombings around Casablanca killed 45 people, including a dozen bombers. Since then, authorities have launched an unprecedented crackdown on suspected militants, arresting thousands of people, including some accused of working with al-Qaida and its affiliates to plot attacks in Morocco and abroad.

The attacks in Algiers were the deadliest attacks by al-Qaida since the hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan in November of 2005 which killed 60 people. These latest examples of terror are threatening to send Algeria back into a crisis like that which broke out in 1992 where an estimated 200,000 people died in the violence, which tapered off as the millinium approached.

The group claiming responsibility is an al-Qaida linked group with is the only organized armed group still known to be operating in Algeria's insurgency. A statement from the group claimed that the killings were a gift "to our Muslim brothers in Chechnya."

By the way, today on Political Pistachio Radio, Mrs. Pistachio kicked butt, the show was the best yet, and Mudkitty was muted and banned.

*Note: Mudkitty, you are hereby banned from commenting on this site. All comments by you will be deleted. If you persist, I will change t0 moderating comments. No begging to return, please.