Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) has changed its name after it asked for advice and permission from Osama Bin Laden, leader of Al-Qaeda. “All Muslims inside and outside Algeria are invited to deal henceforth with the “Organization of Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb”. The organisation’s new name was expected since the announcement of the “Blessed Union”, in mid-September. The organization leadership contacted Al-Qaeda leader, after his deputy, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, announced GSPC had joined World Jihad Organization, to ask him for advice as concern the renaming, we read in a statement the Salafist Group posted on Islamic websites. The GSPC got the approval of Bin Laden for the step, goes on the statement signed by the chief of the organization Abdelmalek Droukdal alias Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud.
After he echoed two events: GSPC joining Al-Qaeda -calling it “God’s generosity”-, and the allegiance Salafist Group pledged to Bin Laden -he calls “current era’s lion”-, Abdel Wadud concluded “the old name of the organization should be changed so as to show unity is sound, coalition is strong and link is sincere between the Mujahideen in Algeria and all their brothers in Al-Qaeda organization”. He then explains how he wanted to make this name changing since he joined GSPC (created in 1998) but he delayed it for he was waiting Osama Bin Laden’s permission and advice. From now on, all our statements will be released under the new name “Organization of Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb”, Abdel Wadud stressed.
Former security investigations revealed contacts between the GSPC (under the leadership of Nabil Sahrawi) and “Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia” (under Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, killed last summer). The aim was to draw Jihadists from North-Africa, the Maghreb and African Sahel, who believe in Al-Qaeda’s doctrine based on targeting West’s interests and fighting regimes which declared war on Jihadists. An attack against a military barrack in Mauritania, executed by Khaled Abul Abbas, chief of the GSPC in the Sahara, on June 2005, came as part of this tendency, according to well informed sources. Al-Qaeda was interminably giving guidelines to the Salafist Group since 9/11 attacks.