DIFFERENT ANGLE by Kenneth Rijock
The Algerian terrorist organization, Salafist Group for Call & Combat, or GPSC, has aligned itself with Al-Qaeda, and is now officially calling itself the Al-Qaeda Organisation, after reportedly receiving a personal blessing from Osama Bin Laden. The GPSC is seeking to transform itself from a strictly domestic Algerian terrorist entity into an international force capable of striking targets in Africa and Europe. Terrorist acts that it has recently perpetrated outside Algeria's borders seem to confirm its expanding mission, and the nature of its criminal fund-raising activities should be noted by MLROs and compliance officers.
GPSC's recent terrorist violence in Algeria and Tunisia*, as well as an action in Mauretania, and its ongoing programme of recruitment in Mali, Niger and Chad, all add up to a growing movement that has expansionist aspirations. The GPSC [UID 39178] has been long regarded as a potential threat in France, and EU compliance officers should familiarise themselves with its history and current activities.
Suspected members of the organisation, as well as individuals linked to the terrorist group, are listed in the GPSC Profile on World-Check. The group currently engages in:
- Narcotics trafficking
- Kidnapping
- Extortion
Whilst we do not wish to unfairly single out Algerian nationals seeking to open banking relationships in Western Europe and North Africa for enhanced due diligence because of the remote chance that they are linked to GPSC activity, prudent compliance officers might want to upgrade the level of scrutiny they presently maintain at new accounts. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Islamic terrorists threaten Tunisia; World-Check 15 January, 2007.
The facts and opinions stated in this article are those of the author and not those of World-Check. World-Check does not warrant the accuracy of any facts and opinions stated in this article, does not endorse them, and accepts no responsibility for them.
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