MUST READ: LEBANON ANOTHER WAYPOINT FOR NORTH AFRICANS HEADED TO IRAQ

Lebanon Another Waypoint for North Africans Headed to Iraq
By Andrew Black

During the past year, reports have revealed the routes through which foreign fighters from North Africa make their way into and out of the Iraq theater of conflict. Previously, the route through Syria has been identified as the preferred avenue, although Turkey has also been named as a potential stopover for North Africans seeking to enter Iraq (Asharq al-Awsat, December 8, 2005; Zaman, December 5, 2006). With the outbreak of fighting in the Nahr al-Barid refugee camp in Lebanon, it appears that another waypoint along the route has been established. Monitoring these routes and understanding the paths that militants take through ancillary countries, cities and even venues of jihad will be critical for understanding the developing threat that Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) poses to North Africa and potentially Western Europe.

In late May, the conflict between Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese Army drew attention to the burgeoning presence of Iraqi veterans in Palestinian refugee camps in the Levant. The foreign presence was estimated to be approximately 50 men, and since the fighting broke out, nationals from countries including Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria have been counted among the dead or arrested (El-Khabar, May 28; al-Jazeera, May 30). The involvement of a foreign contingent, the majority of which has experience fighting in Iraq, has crucial implications for Lebanese and regional security. Veterans of the Iraqi jihad are a wellspring of information and experience on everything from effective anti-aircraft tactics to persuasive media operations to the construction and implementation of roadside improvised explosive devices.

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Pertinent Links:

1) Lebanon Another Waypoint for North Africans Headed to Iraq (PDF file)