Middle East Spectator: Unlikely Bedfellows: Are Some Saharan Marxists Joining Al-Qaida Operations In North Africa?

However, there is some evidence that stalled discussions over independence or autonomy for Western Sahara may have created a marriage of convenience among some elements of the independence struggle and AQIM. If accurate, these reports suggest that some members of the Algeria-based Polisario Front have joined al-Qaeda in trafficking drugs, arms and humanitarian aid in North Africa's desert borderlands.