AQIM Figure: "Al Qaeda in Maghreb Continues to Enjoy the Confidence of Bin Laden"
Abu Abdel Ilah Ahmad's comments came in a 38-minute audio interview released by the group Monday.
Ahmad refuted all the allegations reported in the media about the group weakening and losing ground by the day, and that many of its men have been turning themselves to the authorities in Algeria.
He insisted that the group has joined the global jihadi movement, that its influence extends beyond the Algerian territory and that it has gained the support of the public in Algeria, Mauritania and other countries.
Criticizing the recent presidential elections held in Algeria, Ahmad launched a scathing attack on the current Algerian regime, describing it as a "blend of soldiers and politicians who are intellectually and historically influenced by the French colonialism and more recently the American one."