Moroccan activists accused of al-Qaeda links

US Congress accuses Moroccan political activists of having ties to Islamist groups Rabat – Arab Today The United States Congress expressed concerns on Tuesday over the growing relationship between the Polisario Front – an activist movement from west Africa seeking an end to the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, and al-Qaeda which is known to be operating in the region.
The political activist group has previously been accused by Congress of supplying weapons and fighters to back the Libyan army under former President Muammar Gaddafi, during a NATO backed uprising which toppled the ruler from power.
On Tuesday the state department posted a blog on the Hill’s Congress website - a congressional blog-site that publishes daily when Congress is in session, which said a decision at the end of July create a Congressional Western Sahara Caucus is both troubling and alarming.  It said giving credibility to the Polisario Front, in light of increased security threats and Islamic extremism in Northwest Africa was not in the best interests of America.
The political movement has been criticised by Mali’s Forign Affairs Minister, Tieman Hubert Coulibaly, for participating in attacks in the north of the country, which were led by Islamic militants.
According to the article on Hill’s Congress, Coulibaly stated there are, “between 5,500 to 7,000 terrorists in northern Mali who were joined by lost youngsters, including young Sahrawis (from Western Sahara).”
The blog said Congress will look to strengthen its ties with its ally Morocco which has the supported the US in its fight against Islamic extremism.  It said America will continue to support its ally financially and militarily, following growing tensions Tunisia, Libya and Algeria.