Algeria attack planned before French action in Mali

Reuters:

Algerian militants planned their hostage-taking attack on a remote desert gas plant well before a French military operation against militants in neighboring Mali, European and U.S. national security officials said on Thursday.

Intelligence indicates that the hostage takers, believed to be members of a breakaway faction of al Qaeda's North African affiliate, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), had planned to capture the hostages and take them to a hideout where it would be harder to mount a rescue attempt, a European security official said.

Representatives of the hostage takers told a news service in nearby Mauritania that the attack was a response to the French military operation to clear out Islamic fighters who have taken control of a large swathe of territory in northern Mali. The French operation began on Friday, Jan. 11.

However, U.S. and Western security sources said they believed it was more likely that the motivation behind the hostage-taking was to obtain a ransom, most likely in cash, but also possibly to seek a release of militant prisoners.

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Another possibility is to stretch Western forces so that they have to defend similar facilities across North Africa which would drain the potential troops available for action in Mali.  That would be more of a strategic move than a tactical one.  It is not to say they were not in it for the money, because they have financed much of their operations with hostage taking and dope smuggling.  The action in Mali might disrupt the smuggling routes from West Africa into Europe.