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| Africa North |
| Rewards offered for Maghreb terrorists |
| 2014-01-14 |
| [MAGHAREBIA] Hefty bounties are being offered for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of turbans active in Tunisia and Libya. Tunisia's Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Libya, Tunisia and Yemen, with the Libyan and Tunisian versions currently most active... and similar groups in Libya's Derna and Benghazi on Friday (January 10th) were labelled by the US as terrorist organizations. Group leaders Ahmed Boukhtala in Benghazi, Sufian bin Qumu in Derna, and Seifallah Ben Hassine of Tunisia (aka Abou Iyadh) were also named "global terrorists". "Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi and Ansar al-Sharia in Derna have been involved in terrorist attacks against civilian targets, frequent liquidations, and attempted liquidations of security officials and political actors in eastern Libya, and the September 11, 2012 attacks against the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya," the US State Department said. Up to $10 million dollars is available to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the attack that killed four Americans, including the ambassador. Last August, the Tunisian government designated Ansar al-Sharia a terrorist organization and accused it of taking part in attacks on security forces and assassinating politicians. "Because Tunisia and the United States face a common enemy in terrorism, our countries continue to co-operate to confront and defeat the threat of terrorism," the US Embassy in Tunis said in an online statement. The statement noted that Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia was also involved in the attack on US embassy and the American School in Tunisia on September 14th, 2012, which put the lives of more than 100 diplomatic staffers in danger. Rewards offered to those who help arrest individuals involved in terrorism and organised crime represent an effective weapon used by several countries. A reward recently helped in arresting Abu Anas al-Libi, who was allegedly involved in the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The money for turning in turbans is being offered up under the Rewards for Justice programme. The same setup offers cash for other high-profile Maghreb terrorists. |
| Posted by:Fred |