'Al-Qaeda snatched missiles' in Libya

[nalnn]

Source: news.com.au

AL-QAEDA'S offshoot in North Africa has snatched surface-to-air missiles from an arsenal in Libya during the civil strife there, Chad's President says.

Idriss Deby Itno did not say how many surface-to-air missiles were stolen, but told the African weekly Jeune Afrique that he was "100 per cent sure" of his assertion.

"The Islamists of al-Qaeda took advantage of the pillaging of arsenals in the rebel zone to acquire arms, including surface-to-air missiles, which were then smuggled into their sanctuaries in Tenere," a desert region of the Sahara that stretches from northeast Niger to western Chad, Deby said in the interview.

"This is very serious. AQIM is becoming a genuine army, the best equipped in the region," he said.


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/al-qaeda-snatched-missiles-in-libya/story-e6frfku0-1226028543204#ixzz1Hffm5oRa

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Some interesting tidbits about AQIM in there.

[tabatha]

1. "100 per cent sure" of his assertion.

Where are the photos? Where is the proof?

Chad is supplying Libya with mercenaries.

[JackintheGreen]

3. AQIM is likely better armed than the rebels

and they probably want to shoot the missiles at the same people dropping bombs on Qadaffi, just maybe somewhere else than Libya. "100% sure" or not, the assertion is very plausible.

[bigworld]

2. Deby and Ghaddafi are buddies

... he's speaking for Ghaddafi here.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

4. and the rebels are all hopped up on Al-Qaeda psychedelics, too

[tabatha]

6. Not true.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

7. that was my point. All this al-Qaeda talk is just an attempt to delegitimize the rebels.

They aren't al-Qaeda or pawns of al-Qaeda.
They're just People who want to be free of Gaddafi.

[former9thward]

8. And you know this how?

Because they say so? Interesting when there is "no credibility" to claims of al-Queda links with the "rebels" but total credibility of claims Gaddifi was going to "massacre 200,000 people".

[dipsydoodle]

10. see post # 9 - mist I suppose.

Sounds like they're delegitimizing themselves in that case.

[nalnn]

5. Yeah

I'm taking the whole article with a grain of NaCl, but AQIM is no doubt involved in Libya. That's their back yard and it behooves them to stick their noses/fingers into whatever pie they can find.

Also, many of the mujaheddin we are fighting in AFPAK were likely trained or otherwise originated from Qaddafi's Libya.

I also know a lot of you reading this will snark and disbelieve, but my own experience tells me that at least some of this rings true.

[dipsydoodle]

9. Posted elsewhere on DU : Libyan rebel commander admits his fighters have al-Qaeda links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x747832