Although he has not been seen or heard since last July, a militant Islamist group in Algeria says Osama bin Laden gave formal approval this week for the group to change its name. In a statement issued by the Algerian Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), the group — now known as “Al Qaeda Organization in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb”– says it had to await bin Laden’s personal review for the name change and has now received it. Members of jihadi forums have noted that the new statement shows bin Laden is alive and well. Full Story