http://www.guardian.co.uk/alqaida/story/0,12469,1169511,00.htmlsnip
Three days before the Madrid bombing, where the first arrests included three Moroccans detained on Saturday, the deputy commander of the Stuttgart-based US European command - which covers all of Africa except the Horn - warned that al-Qaida had an interest in north Africa.
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Senior US generals, including the commander of the US European command, General James Jones, have been touring the region looking for temporary bases and airfields to use in possible future operations in Africa.
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States previously shunned by the international community, such as Algeria, are being provided with arms and military training and may become a cornerstone of US military interests in the region. "We are interested in being able to land at bases in Algeria with our aircraft, or train together," Gen Wald said. "We think we have a lot to learn from the Algerians."
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mm-hmmm....'nuff said.
ON EDIT: ADD LAST SNIP