The al Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine announced its merger with the secular Tuareg group National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, saying the accord will bring about an independent Islamic state under Islamic law. The two insurgent groups took over northern Mali following a military coup in March that weakened the central government. Two days ago, the head of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb advised Ansar Dine to keep its al Qaeda ties under wraps.
