Tunisia 'not a base' for al-Qaeda

A Tunisian researcher in military affairs, Faisal Sharif, has rejected fears that Tunisia has turned to be a new base for al-Qaeda fighters. Interviewed by Arabstoday, Sharif said Tunisia's southern desert could only be considered a "transit area" for the fighters who head for their strongholds in the Algerian desert and in north of Mali. "Al-Qaeda is trying to establish a new stronghold in the African Sahara region in north of Mali, and the Tunisian desert looks to be an ideal transit area for the remnants of al-Qaeda in south Africa, to use it in order to reach north Mali or al-Qaeda camps in the Algerian desert. We also can't ignore the deteriorated security in Libya, which can now be considered as a main source for weapons-smuggling in North Africa, as some reports said that the amount of hidden weapons in Libya after the end of the war between the rebels and the pro-Gaddafi troops is at 1 million," said Sharif. Speaking about a recent incident which saw Tunisian military aircraft target three trucks loaded with weapons coming across the Libyan border, Sharif said he could not be certain about the details as no in-depth reports were issued regarding it. He however added that it is unlikely the weapons were supposed to be sent to Tunisia, and the trucks were probably on their way to someplace else, most likely to northern Mali through the Tunisian and Algerian deserts. Sharif noted that the most important thing to regard was the type of smuggled weapons, as they included anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles. "These kinds of weapons are very dangerous to any country, as it can be used to target the state's military and security posts, and even seize them," said Sharif. The military researcher stated the main threat came from the desert borders between Libya, Tunisia and Algeria, as they extend for more than 950km, making them difficult to monitor. Taking into account the security vacuum in Libya, both the Tunisian and Algerian armies could barely put these massive border areas under control," Sharif said. He added: "There is an essential need for intelligence operations to be held in coordination between the three countries, in order to impose more control on weapons-smuggling. These operations should see the usage of observation drones and the establishment of logistic posts across the borders."