Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC)
Goals and Objectives. GSPC is a well-organized radical Islamic group in Algeria that aims to establish an Islamic state based on Islamic law.
Favored Tactics. The tactics of the GSPC are quite varied. Within Algeria, GSPC stages well-planned and executed ambushes of soldiers and officials. Beginning February 22, 2003, the group kidnapped several groups of European tourists in the Sahara desert (31 people in all; 30 were later freed, one perished), apparently seeking weapons and money.438 It has set up roadblocks in remote regions, charging fees to passers-by. In Europe, the group is suspected of involvement in several major bombing plots.

Brief History. GSPC formed when an estimated 600 militants split off from the Armed Islamic Group (GIA, see entry above) in 1996 during the bloody Algerian civil war. The group renounced GIA’s massacres of civilians in the mid-1990s and promised a better organized campaign against the government and the military. By 1998, GSPC had apparently eclipsed GIA in power and popularity. By 2000, the group appeared to have taken over GIA’s networks in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.437 European officials have linked GSPC to numerous plots in Europe. Within Algeria, the group has reportedly been weakened by a government crackdown; however, it continues to attack soldiers and officials, with the frequency and violence of the attacks increasing noticeably in the summer of 2003. According to the U.S. State Department, GSPC is the most effective armed group remaining in Algeria.

Favored Tactics. The tactics of the GSPC are quite varied. Within Algeria, GSPC stages well-planned and executed ambushes of soldiers and officials. Beginning February 22, 2003, the group kidnapped several groups of European tourists in the Sahara desert (31 people in all; 30 were later freed, one perished), apparently seeking weapons and money.438 It has set up roadblocks in remote regions, charging fees to passers-by. In Europe, the group is suspected of involvement in several major bombing plots.

Areas of Operation. The group’s primary focus and area of operation is Algeria. Its main bases in Algeria have been in the mountainous regions east of Algiers. GSPC is also believed to maintain a network throughout Western Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Individuals and cells connected to GSPC have been arrested across Western Europe.

Strength and Composition. GSPC is comprised mainly of Algerian Islamic fundamentalists. Algerian authorities estimate that it has between 100 and 300 militants. According to the Algerian government, military raids and a recent amnesty period have reduced the group’s numbers in Algeria. European authorities have arrested more than 100 people with suspected GSPC ties, but the effect of these arrests on the group’s ability to operate is unknown.

Connections With Other Terrorist Organizations. GSPC is believed to have extensive operational ties to Al Qaeda. According to one account, half of those arrested in Europe suspected of ties to Al Qaeda have been Algerians also associated with GSPC. In late 2002, Algerian authorities announced the arrest of a Yemeni Al Qaeda official who had been meeting with GSPC members in Algeria.
State Supporters and Other Sources of Funding. GSPC’s funding appears to come mainly from Algerian expatriates in Western Europe, particularly in France, and elsewhere. In Algeria, the group has also used kidnapping and smuggling to raise funds. The Algerian Government has accused Iran and Sudan of supporting Algerian extremists in years past. The GSPC was said to have been paid millions of dollars in ransom before most of the kidnapped European tourists were freed. (One person reportedly died of exposure.) Some media reports suggest Germany paid the ransom; others say Libya. These reports have not been confirmed. Still other sources claim that the hostages were not ransomed but freed in a commando raid.

Originally Designated as an FTO. March 27, 2002.

Issues of Concern for Congress. The GSPC’s extensive operational ties to Al Qaeda make this group of particular concern to the United States. Its apparently extensive networks in networks in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa may provide an avenue for further attacks carried out on behalf of, or with links to, Al Qaeda.