From a Local Organization to Ties with Al-Qaeda In 1996, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) split off from the Armed Islam Group (GIA), which had stood out even in the bloody Algerian civil war for its ruthless atrocities. This history of brutality by the GIA likely served as a direct cause of the split in its ranks. The newly created GSPC since its onset was characterized by the expansion of activity towards the desert, and by primarily targeting the security forces and foreign interests in Algeria (rather than civilians), while carrying out bombings in Europe. Some interpret the beginning of the GSPC’s connections to al-Qaeda in 2002 as being related to this major transformation in the type of its operations.