Is Al-Qaeda about to bring terrorism to Europe's backyard in North Africa?

The drama of the hostage crisis has shot the hitherto unknown group 'Signatories in Blood' and its leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar, variably referred to as an Islamist with ties to bin Ladin and/or a senior al-Qaeda leader, to notoriety overnight and has prompted Western leaders to focus on the possibility of a growing threat of Islamist terrorism on Europe's southern border.

Such tragic events are bound to provoke a strong reaction, yet, upon closer examination, it seems that the idea of a threat to mainland Europe is overstated. Even at a glance, the nature of the attack - hostage-taking for financial gain - is not the kind we have come to associate with al-Qaeda over the years.