Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb.

The article focuses on the the terrorist group Al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the collective factors that allowed AQIM to succeed. It highlights the foundation of the concept of terrorism to further a political agenda during Algeria's war of independence with the French. It then explores the factors that influence the lack of trust between the nomadic Tuaregs and foreign forces. Moreover, it also discusses the civil war in Algeria and the emergence of modern terrorist groups. Lastly, the impact of the post-9/11 attack in the evolution of terrorism as a reaction to actual or implied American hegemonic ambitions is discussed.