Algeria: Intelligence failings led to gas field attack
Issue 263
- 12 Oct 2013
| 1 minute read
The events at In Aménas in January were the product of intelligence failures at a number of levels. Most dramatic is an allegation that, by November 2012, the Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité (DRS) intelligence service had detailed information showing that a group related to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), led by Mohamed-Lamine Bouchneb (aka Abou Aïcha) and co-ordinated by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, was planning to attack Algerian petroleum installations. That attack took place – almost exactly as described – just two months later.
Don't have an account?
Register for access to our free content
An account also allows you to view selected free articles, set up news alerts,
search our African Energy Live Data power projects database and view project locations on our interactive map
Register