Sunday, January 9, 2011

French and Niger Troop Rescue Fails, Al Qaeda Kills Two French Hostages

Vincent Delory, one of the two French hostages killed after being kidnapped in Niger


This is the second failure by the French military in Africa to rescue citizens of France who have been abducted by members of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb as after the two French citizens were taken on Friday night, French and Niger troops were hot on their heels and during the subsequent clashes, the two hostages were killed.

From the report at The Telegraph:

The 25-year-old men from northern France were seized at gunpoint from a bar frequented by expatriates, bringing to eight the total number of French nationals kidnapped in the west African country in recent years.

The failed rescue operation is the second since July to involve French troops in the arid Sahel region, where Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) – the network's North African affiliate – is active in several countries.

Niger's military and French special forces chased the kidnappers into the desert as they headed for the lawless borderlands with Mali. Troops clashed twice with the gunmen; the hostages were found dead after the second firefight, in which several of the kidnappers were reportedly killed.

"At this stage, everything makes us believe that they were executed by the terrorists," a French military spokesman, Thierry Burkhard, said.


The members of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have made a name for themselves as the kings of abduction - they have regularly abducted Europeans, not just French, due to their desire to receive ransoms. This al Qaeda franchise in northern Africa is not one of the more well to do branches - they have been hurting for cash for a long time and at least the French are sending the signal to them that if they continue to abduct, they will be hunted down. Unfortunately, the hostages are not faring well in this scenario.

One aspect of this story is the sobering fact that al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is expanding their operations. There simply is no denying that fact. Early on this group was operating mainly in Algeria and due to the feeble response by the Algerian military, the al Qaeda cell grew and grew - I don't have proof of it but I do feel that their ranks has swelled due to the loss by the jihadis in Iraq that sent hundreds of north African jihadis back to their homes and into the arms of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.



Two French hostages killed by al-Qaeda kidnappers during failed rescue attempt


Two French nationals kidnapped on Friday in Niger's capital Niamey by suspected militants linked to al-Qaeda were apparently executed amid a failed rescue bid by French and Niger troops.

The 25-year-old men from northern France were seized at gunpoint from a bar frequented by expatriates, bringing to eight the total number of French nationals kidnapped in the west African country in recent years.

The failed rescue operation is the second since July to involve French troops in the arid Sahel region, where Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) – the network's North African affiliate – is active in several countries.

Niger's military and French special forces chased the kidnappers into the desert as they headed for the lawless borderlands with Mali. Troops clashed twice with the gunmen; the hostages were found dead after the second firefight, in which several of the kidnappers were reportedly killed.

"At this stage, everything makes us believe that they were executed by the terrorists," a French military spokesman, Thierry Burkhard, said.

The childhood friends had come to Niger as one – a former aid worker in the country – was due to marry a local woman next week. His friend had just arrived that evening.

The kidnapping was the first to take place in the capital of uranium-rich Niger, with previous attacks launched in remote desert regions. Mr Burkhard said that it was "likely" that the kidnappers were members of AQIM.

Last July, another French national seized in Niger was executed in retaliation for a botched rescue attempt by French and Mauritanian troops that left six militants dead. Seven employees of French nuclear group Areva and construction firm Vinci – including five French nationals – remain in captivity after being kidnapped in northern Niger last September.

Analysts have warned that the weekend's operation could endanger hostages still being held by the al-Qaeda-linked militants.

Anne Giudicelli, Managing Director of Paris-based security consultancy Terrorisc, told The Daily Telegraph that the botched raid "sends a message that the French are no longer willing to tolerate hostage-taking. The captors are surrounded militarily and there is no longer an advantage to keeping the five hostages alive." France today told its nationals to avoid all travel to the Sahel region, one of the world's most hostile. Foreigners have repeatedly been kidnapped throughout the region, with Canadian, Italian, Swiss and Spanish nationals among those held for extended periods.

Briton Edwin Dyer was executed in June 2009 after four months in captivity in Mali.

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