[Maghrebia] Algeria's Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) on Sunday released a video featuring Mebarek Yazid, aka Abu Obeida Youcef el-Annabi, Ennahar reported on Monday (March 8th). Since the GSPC charter clearly defines Abu Obeida's role as head of the Council of Elders, his appearance in the video to speak on behalf of the entire organisation shows that he has replaced AQIM's Abdelmalek Droukdel as GSPC emir, Ennahar noted. The video reportedly targets would-be terrorists from Mauritania, Mali and Niger to replace the significant decline in Algerian recruits.Abu Obeida has been an outspoken critic of Droukdel's ideology. According to Ennahar, Droukdel has minimised the role of the Council of Elders ever since declaring allegiance to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.
