Nigeria: AQIM Attempts To Expand

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) leader Abu Musab Abd al-Wadoud said his group will support Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram with weapons in an effort to strengthen Muslims in Nigeria and provide al Qaeda with strategic depth in Africa. Al-Wadoud has issued similar statements before, with few quantifiable results. Issuing statements claiming an alliance is easier than actually creating a meaningful accord, and several factors complicate AQIM's intent to move into Nigeria.