Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
| Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat | |
|---|---|
|
الجماعة السلفية للدعوة والقتال Participant in the Algerian Civil War and the Insurgency in the Maghreb |
|
| Active | 1998–2007 |
| Ideology | |
| Leaders |
Hassan Hattab (1998–2003) Nabil Sahraoui (2003–2004) Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud (2004–2007) |
| Strength | hundreds–4,000 |
| Originated as | Armed Islamic Group (until 2004) |
| Became |
 Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
|
| Allies |
|
| Opponents | |
The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (Arabic: الجماعة السلفية للدعوة والقتال al-Jamā‘ah as-Salafiyyah li-d-Da‘wah wa-l-Qitāl), known by the French acronym GSPC (Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat), was an Algerian terrorist faction in the Algerian Civil War founded in 1998 by Hassan Hattab, a former regional commander of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). After Hattab was ousted from the organization in 2003, the group officially pledged support for al-Qaeda, and in 2007 formed the basis for al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) was founded by Hassan Hattab, a former Armed Islamic Group (GIA) regional commander who broke with the GIA in 1998 in protest over the GIA's slaughter of civilians. After an amnesty in 1999, many former GIA fighters laid down their arms, but a few remained active, including members of the GSPC.
Estimates of the number of GSPC members vary widely, from a few hundred to as many as 4,000. In September 2003, it was reported that Hattab had been deposed as national emir of the GSPC and replaced by Nabil Sahraoui (Sheikh Abou Ibrahim Mustapha), a 39-year-old former GIA commander who was subsequently reported to have pledged GSPC's allegiance to al-Qaeda, a step which Hattab had opposed. Following the death of Sahraoui in June 2004, Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud became the leader of the GSPC.Abdelmadjid Dichou is also reported to have headed the group.
A splinter or separate branch of Hattab's group, the Free Salafist Group (GSL), headed by El Para, was linked to the kidnapping of 32 European tourists in Algeria in early 2003. Other sources illustrate the involvement of the Algerian intelligence services in exaggerating the claims about terrorist threats in the Sahara, and the supposed alliance between this group and Al-Qaeda. Some of the reputation of El Para is also attributed to the Algerian government, as a possible employer, and it has been alleged that certain key events, such as kidnappings, were staged, and that there was a campaign of deception and disinformation originated by the Algerian government and perpetuated by the media.
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