Special to WorldTribune.com

Geostrategy-Direct.com

WASHINGTON — The U.S. intelligence community has determined that Al Qaida was expanding in North Africa.

Officials said Al Qaida has formed groups throughout North Africa and the Sahel regime. They cited the new Al Murabitoun, which has been operating in Algeria and Niger over the last year.

“This newly formed group poses a growing threat to Western interests in North Africa, based on the network’s record of sophisticated attacks against Western mineral and energy interests in Niger and Algeria in 2013,” Defense Intelligence Agency Director Michael Flynn, referring to Al Murabitoun, said.

Al Murabitoun was formed in August 2013 through a merger between two factions of Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.

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