In northern Iraqi city, al-Qaida gathers strength

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FILE - in this file photo taken on Jan. 16, 2012 Iraqi security forces inspect the scene of a car bomb attack outside the northern city of Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq. Al-Qaida's Iraq arm is gaining strength in the restive northern city of Mosul, reviving its fundraising efforts through gangland-style shakedowns, feeding off anti-government anger and increasingly carrying out attacks with impunity. It is a worrying development for Iraq's third-largest city, one of its main gateways to Syria, as voters prepare to cast ballots for local leaders and al-Qaida makes a push to establish itself as a dominant force among the rebels fighting to topple the Syrian regime. (AP Photo, File)

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In northern Iraq... FILE - in this file photo taken on Jan. 16, 2012 Iraqi security forces inspect the scene of a car bomb attack outside the northern city of Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq. Al-Qaida's Iraq arm is gaining strength in the restive northern city of Mosul, reviving its fundraising efforts through gangland-style shakedowns, feeding off anti-government anger and increasingly carrying out attacks with impunity. It is a worrying development for Iraq's third-largest city, one of its main gateways to Syria, as voters prepare to cast ballots for local leaders and al-Qaida makes a push to establish itself as a dominant force among the rebels fighting to topple the Syrian regime. (AP Photo, File)
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