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| Africa North |
| France says joined Mauritania strike on al-Qaeda |
| 2010-07-24 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] France said on Friday it had given technical and logistical support to a Mauritanian military operation against al-Qaeda's North African wing after receiving no sign that a French citizen held by the group was still alive. "The terrorist group targeted by the Mauritanian army is the one that executed a British hostage a year ago and has refused to give proof of life or engage in negotiations to release our compatriot Michel Germaneau," the Defense Ministry said. "(We) confirm that the French army gave technical and logistical support to a Mauritanian operation to prevent an attack by AQIM against Mauritania," it said in a statement, using the acronym for al-Qaeda's North African section. It did not say whether the hostage had been located or where Wednesday's military operation took place. But it said Mauritania's action had "neutralized" the group. AL-Qaeda affiliate Earlier, a Mauritanian official said that Mauritanian troops attacked the base of an al-Qaeda affiliate, killing several "terrorists," without confirming whether the move sought to free the French hostage. "The operation which targeted a terrorist base is complete," the source said. "Several armed terrorists were killed and wounded at the base, located in the desert, which serves as a refuge for terrorist fighters from the nebulous al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb," or AQIM. The source did not specify whether the raid was aimed at liberating Germaneau. Malian officials said on Thursday that the military swoop involving unidentified aircraft took place in northern Mali where a French national was believed to have been held. Spain's El Pais daily quoted diplomatic sources on Thursday as saying French special forces had staged a dawn attack aimed at freeing Germaneau, killing six terrorists but finding no sign of the hostage or of the base where he was believed to be held. El Pais said French forces located the base with U.S. help. Demands for a prisoner swap AQIM set a July 27 deadline next week for killing Germaneau, 78 -- who was seized on April 22 in northern Niger -- unless its demands for a prisoner swap were met. AQIM gave France 15 days from July 12 to arrange an exchange and said French President Nicolas Sarkozy would be responsible for the life of Germaneau, a retired engineer who had worked in the Algerian oil sector. He is the latest in a string of Western hostages who have fallen prey to a new tactic to secure funding used by armed groups in the region, often claiming allegiance to al-Qaeda. France is the former colonial ruler of several countries in the region, including Mali, Mauritania, Algeria and Burkina Faso. Officials in France and Niger believe Germaneau is being held in Mali. The French foreign ministry said it had received no demands from Germaneau's kidnappers but took their threat to kill him seriously. AQIM killed British tourist Edwin Dyer last year after holding him captive for six months when London refused to yield to the Islamists' demands to free jailed Muslim cleric Abu Qatada, once regarded as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe. It is also holding two Spaniards in the region after kidnapping them more than seven months ago: Albert Vilalta, 35, and 50-year-old Roque Pascual. |
| Posted by:Fred |