AdvertisementA Diplomat's Extended Visit With Al-Qaida In MaliAugust 02, 2012Greg MyrefacebookEmailFormer Canadian diplomat and U.N. envoy Robert Fowler (center, front row) was kidnapped in 2008 by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and held for more than four months. He says al-Qaida's recent rise in Mali should be seen as a serious threat to Western interests. (Courtesy of Robert Fowler)