Are Western Jihadists Running the War in North Africa?

The Independent has a disturbing story from the aftermath of the attack and massacre in Algeria.

Canada is investigating an allegation by the Algerian Prime Minister that one of its citizens co-ordinated the terror raid at the Saharan gas plant in which dozens of hostages were killed.

Westerners, including a man with blond hair and blue eyes, are believed to have been among the Islamist militants who launched last week’s attack on the Tigantourine complex near Algeria’s border with Libya.

A French jihadist, previously unknown to authorities, and two Canadians are suspected to have been involved in the hostage-taking, and reports also claim that a man with a Western accent was among the extremists who lured terrified gas workers from their rooms during the hostage crisis.

Of the reported 32 jihadists, a handful appeared to be Western, and those appeared to be in positions of authority. Additionally, a battle in Mali last week apparently included jihadists who spoke English with an English accent.

Al Qaeda has sought to recruit Western-looking and particularly Caucasian jihadists for years. Western jihadists have also been around for years, from John Walker Lindh and Jose Padilla to Adam Gadahn. Seeing so many take part in one operation in northern Africa suggests that al Qaeda is succeeding in its recruiting drive.

Yet our president recently insisted that al Qaeda is “on the run.” Until they proved him wrong by killing Americans.

Western leaders who actually go and fight the war on our side, on the other hand, can expect leftists to make common cause with the Taliban. The jihadists didn’t even have to go to the trouble of recruiting them.