Degrees of affiliation in the global al-Qaeda franchise | The Strategist

"To mark its debut as AQIM, the group strategically changed tactics to reflect Osama Bin Laden’s concentration on the ‘far enemy’—the West in general and the US in particular—while also retaining their local and regional activities. The group began focusing on UN, Israeli and American targets in the region, and went after Algeria’s energy infrastructure, none of which had been a priority in the past. The group also expanded its primary focus to include France, as well as the Algerian regime, and began using suicide bombings and car bombs more strategically by targeting aid workers, tourists, diplomats, and employees of multinational or foreign companies."