2009.08.08: August 8, 2009: Headlines: COS - Mauritania: Safety: NY Times: Suicide Blast Wounds 2 at French Embassy in Mauritania
Peace Corps Online
E-mail Notification
Peace Corps Online : Directory : Mauritania : Peace Corps Mauritania : Peace Corps Mauritania: Newest Stories : 2009.08.08: August 8, 2009: Headlines: COS - Mauritania: Safety: NY Times: Suicide Blast Wounds 2 at French Embassy in Mauritania| By Admin1 (admin) (98.188.147.225) on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 9:36 am : Edit Post |
Suicide Blast Wounds 2 at French Embassy in Mauritania
But there had not been a suicide bombing on record, and analysts and diplomats in Nouakchott
considered Saturday's attack an escalation of terrorist activities in a land whose vast,
unpatrolled northern frontiers have become a cause of concern to counterterrorism officials.
"They're clearly becoming more active," a Western diplomat in Nouakchott said of the
militant group, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. "It's the first time we've seen them do
it here." The diplomat cautioned, though, that Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb had previously
shown its ability to bring militants into Mauritania from neighboring Mali. Now, the diplomat said,
"It's perhaps more focused." On Saturday night, a Mauritanian Web site said to be close
to the government, the Agence Nouakchott d'Information, reported that the suicide bomber was a
Mauritanian. It said the bomber cried "Allahu akbar," or "God is great," before
blowing himself up as he approached the two Frenchmen.
Suicide Blast Wounds 2 at French Embassy in Mauritania
Suicide Blast Wounds 2 at Embassy in Mauritania
By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: August 8, 2009
Caption: Mauritanian policemen control traffic near the French embassy of Nouakchot following a
suicide bombing on August 8. Mauritanian authorities have blamed a young Islamist extremist for a
suicide bombing near the French embassy in the capital as France condemned the attack and pledged
support to fight terrorism. Photo: AFP/Watt Abdel Jelil
DAKAR, Senegal - A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the French Embassy in Mauritania's
capital on Saturday night, slightly wounding two embassy security guards who were jogging near the
walls.
"Someone approached them and blew himself up," a spokesman for the French Embassy, Marc
Flattot, said in a telephone interview from the capital, Nouakchott.
"It wasn't a big explosion," he said.
"There were a number of light wounds. They were shocked," he said of the security guards,
who were hospitalized for observation.
"No doubt they had been spotted," Mr. Flattot said.
Mauritania is a large Islamic country of mostly desert that has suffered a number of attacks
attributed to a North African militant group affiliated with Al Qaeda, including the killing of an
American in June.
But there had not been a suicide bombing on record, and analysts and diplomats in Nouakchott
considered Saturday's attack an escalation of terrorist activities in a land whose vast,
unpatrolled northern frontiers have become a cause of concern to counterterrorism officials.
"They're clearly becoming more active," a Western diplomat in Nouakchott said of the
militant group, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. "It's the first time we've seen them do
it here."
The diplomat cautioned, though, that Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb had previously shown its
ability to bring militants into Mauritania from neighboring Mali.
Now, the diplomat said, "It's perhaps more focused."
On Saturday night, a Mauritanian Web site said to be close to the government, the Agence Nouakchott
d'Information, reported that the suicide bomber was a Mauritanian.
It said the bomber cried "Allahu akbar," or "God is great," before blowing himself
up as he approached the two Frenchmen.
The police told Agence France-Presse that the suspect was a jihadist who had been sought by security
officials.
No responsibility for the bombing was claimed Saturday night.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb previously declared itself responsible for the shooting of the
American, Christopher Leggett, six weeks ago on a street in Nouakchott. Saturday's attack,
unlike the shooting, took place in the heart of the capital's diplomatic and upper-end
residential district, Tevragh Zeina.
Three Mauritanians were charged with murder last week in Mr. Leggett's death; one was wearing an
explosives belt that did not detonate when he was arrested in July.
Three others, accused of close ties to Al Qaeda, are in custody in the killing of four French
tourists in Mauritania in 2007.
Also in July, one of the Qaeda branch's leaders threatened war against France over President
Nicolas Sarkozy's declarations against the burqa, the head-to-toe covering worn by some Muslim
women.
France is the former colonial power in Mauritania and provides millions of dollars in aid each year.
Earlier last week, Mauritania's newly elected president, the former coup leader and general
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, declared at his inauguration that he would "spare no effort in the
fight against terrorism and its causes."
Mauritania is considered to be a country of moderate Islam; the Islamist candidate in the recent
presidential elections got little support.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb recently carried out attacks in the desert in the neighboring
country of Mali, including an encounter with a Malian Army patrol and the killing of a senior Malian
Army officer in his home.
"This is the logical follow-up to the recent encounters in the north of Mali," said Isselmou
Ould Moustapha, the editor of Tahalil Hebdo, a newspaper in Nouakchott.
Steven Erlanger contributed reporting from Paris.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: August, 2009 ; Peace Corps Mauritania ; Directory of Mauritania RPCVs ; Messages and Announcements for Mauritania RPCVs ; Safety and Security of Volunteers
When this story was posted in August 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Join Us Mr. President!
"We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during his campaign. Returned Volunteers rally and and march to the White House to support a bold new Peace Corps for a new age. Latest: Senator Dodd introduces Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act of 2009 .
Meet Aaron Williams - Our Next Director
Senator Dodd's Senate Subcommittee held confirmation hearings for Aaron Williams to become the 18th Peace Corps Director . "It's exciting to have a nominee who served in the Peace Corps and also has experience in international development and management," said Dodd as he put Williams on the fast track to be confirmed by the full Senate before the August recess. Read our exclusive coverage of the hearings and our biography of Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams .
Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview
Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez .
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: NY Times
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Mauritania; Safety
PCOL44484
47
Use this link to go directly to the discussion: