The jury is still out on the significance of the terrorist attack on Algerian gas facility last week, in light of the French-led intervention against hardline Islamist groups in Mali. Bruce Riedel in Al Monitor writes that we're witnessing the rise of a new, and deadliest, Al Qaeda generation, while Peter Beaumont writing in The Guardian argues that jihadis in North Africa lack the local support and organizational capacity to establish a regional front.
- Al Monitor: New Al-Qaeda generation may be deadliest one (Bruce Riedel, January 24)
"Despite Osama of bin Laden's death, al-Qaeda has exploited the Arab Awakening to create is largest safe havens and operational bases in more than a decade across the Arab world. This may prove to be the most deadly al-Qaeda yet."
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