The New York Times quotes Africa Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Rudolph Atallah on the video released by militants who kidnapped thirty-two European citizens in the Algerian desert in 2003:
“Kidnapping is basically low-hanging fruit,” said Rudolph Atallah, who was the director of African counterterrorism policy for the Pentagon at the time of the kidnapping.
[…]
“This video shows, No. 1, the lack of sophistication of the jihadists,” said Mr. Atallah, who reviewed the video. “It also crucially shows that they were ad-libbing. They had never done this before.”