Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group

The Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, known by the French acronym GICM (Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain), was a Sunni Islamist militant organization that operated in Morocco, North Africa, and Western Europe. The organization's objective was to establish an Islamic government in Morocco.<ref name="Stanford" />

GICM was established in 1998 after Arab Afghan veteran fighters, who had fought alongside the Afghan Mujahideen, returned to Morocco with the objective of forming a militant organization. GICM and its associated members have been linked to the 2003 Casablanca bombings and the 2004 Madrid train bombings. A major crackdown against the organization's numerous cells in Europe is thought to have since significantly damaged the GICM's capabilities.<ref name="Stanford" /> By 2013, the group had become defunct, with the United States no longer considering it a functional organization.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

Background

The GICM was founded in the 1990s by Moroccan recruits from al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan and former Mujahideen veterans from the Soviet–Afghan War.<ref name="Stanford">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="UNSC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Tan">Template:Cite book</ref> Formed as a splinter group of the Harakat al-Islamiya al-Maghrebiya al-Mukatila (HASM) and Shabiba al-Islamiya groups, the GICM's stated goal was to establish an Islamic state in Morocco.<ref name="Stanford"/><ref name="Guidere"/> The group gained its finances from criminal activities such as robberies, extortions, document forgery, illegal drug trade and arms trafficking through North Africa and Europe.<ref name="Stanford"/><ref name="Guidere"/><ref name="CTC">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Chalk"/> One early cell affiliated with the group was responsible for killing two Spanish tourists at the Atlas Asni Hotel in Marrakesh in August 1994.<ref name="CTC"/> The ideological leader of the group was Ahmed Rafiki (Template:Aka Abou Hodeifa), who was responsible for organizing Moroccan fighters in Afghanistan.<ref name="UNSC"/>

Attacks linked to GICM

Along with other Al-Qaeda affiliates, GICM was banned worldwide by the UN 1267 Committee in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001.<ref name="UNSC"/> The group was later linked to several terrorist attacks. In 2003 twelve suicide bombers from the associated group Salafia Jihadia were responsible for coordinated suicide bombings in Casablanca that killed 33 people.<ref name="Stanford"/><ref name="UNSC"/><ref>M. Bruguière est cité comme témoin devant un tribunal Template:Webarchive, Le Monde, 1 June 2007 Template:In lang</ref> At least eight of the people convicted after the bombings were accused of being members of the GICM.<ref name="Ward"/> Noureddine Nafia, an important early leader of the group was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Saad Houssaini, the group's suspected military committee chief (arrested in 2007) was sentenced to 15 years.<ref name="CTC"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A year after the Casablanca bombings, the GICM became the principal suspect after the 2004 Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people and wounded over 2,000.<ref name="UNSC"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A cell linked to the attacks was affiliated with the GICM through Youssef Belhadj and Hassan el-Haski, who were based in Belgium.<ref name="CTC2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A main perpetrator, Jamal Zougam had met GICM leaders including Template:Interlanguage link (a.k.a. Abou Issa) in the United Kingdom, and Abdelaziz Benyaich in Morocco.<ref name="Chalk">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="ISS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The group has also been linked to the 2007 Casablanca bombings.<ref name="Guidere"/> Also active with recruiting jihadist fighters to Iraq, the GICM has been responsible for attacks including at least one suicide bombing against the Multi-National Force – Iraq.<ref name="Stanford"/><ref name="UNSC"/>

Activities and cells

A large part of the GICM's membership was drawn from the Moroccan diaspora in Western Europe, where it was involved in a number of terrorist plots.<ref name="UNSC"/><ref name="CTC"/> The organization in Europe is based in the United Kingdom, but has had numerous cells, including sleeper cells in Spain, Belgium, Italy, France, Denmark, Turkey, Egypt and the Netherlands.<ref name="Stanford"/><ref name="UNSC"/><ref name="Guidere">Template:Cite book</ref>

The European organization is thought to have been led by British national Mohammed al-Guerbouzi, who in 2001 was arrested by Iranian authorities and extradited to the United Kingdom, and later sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison in Morocco for his role in the 2003 Casablanca bombings.<ref name="Stanford"/><ref name="UNSC"/><ref name="CTC"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A Belgian cell led by Abdelkader Hakimi, Lahoussine el-Haski, Mostafa Louanani, and eight other men were convicted in 2006.<ref name="CTC"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Members of the GICM have also been arrested in Spain and France.<ref name="CTC"/> Four members were arrested in the Canary Islands in December 2004, suspected of preparing to establish a new base for the group.<ref name="Ward">Template:Cite book</ref> The Catalonia-based Rabet and Nakcha groups, which recruited suicide bombers to Iraq were dismantled in 2005 and 2006.<ref name="CTC"/> In Paris, thirteen people suspected of links to the GICM were arrested in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The imam of a mosque in Varese, Italy suspected of raising money and recruiting for the GICM was extradited to Morocco in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to the Federal Police of Brazil, GICM is one of seven Islamic terrorist groups active in the country, and in the border area with Argentina and Paraguay.<ref name="Brazil">Template:Cite news</ref> The group has also operated in Canada.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

By 2010, most of the organization's leadership had reportedly been imprisoned or killed, although former cells and members at large were still considered a possible threat.<ref name="Stanford"/> Although not officially confirmed,<ref name="Stanford"/><ref name="CTC"/> according to some sources the group has joined Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).<ref name="Guidere"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> A cell with 27 members in Tétouan arrested in January 2007 had logistical and financial links to GICM and AQIM.<ref name="CTC"/> Mohamed Moumou (aka Abu Qaswarah), second-in-command of Al-Qaida in Iraq was originally a key member of the GICM.<ref name="CTC"/> Karim el-Mejjati, another founding leader of the group, was killed in 2005 after having become a leader of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia.<ref name="Stanford"/><ref name="CTC"/>

The group was removed from the United States' list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2013, seemingly confirming its complete dissolution as an entity by that point.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Foreign relations

Designation as a terrorist organization

Countries and organizations below have officially listed the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group as a terrorist organization.

Country	Date	References
Template:Flagcountry	10 October 2002	<ref name="UNSC"/>
Template:Flagcountry	5 December 2002–28 May 2013	<ref name=":1" />
Template:Flagcountry	14 October 2005	<ref>Template:Cite act</ref>