A commentary by Andrew Lebovich on the documents found, giving some context and a caveat:
Still, while these documents raise some fascinating subjects and questions, they provide only snapshots in a complicated tableau.

(Later)...Additionally, the documents present more anecdotal evidence that previous conceptions of AQIM may be incorrect, or at least severely deficient.
Link:http://thewasat.wordpress.com/2013/0...ict-documents/

He also refers an:
...her excellent book Smugglers and Saints of the Sahara, (by) the British social anthropologist Judith Scheele discusses the conception that many Algerian traders and their families held — and still hold — about northern Mali as a kind of wilderness that corrupted men and ruined families...
This was published in April 2012, but has no review on Amazon.com:http://www.amazon.com/Smugglers-Sain...+of+the+Sahara

Ah, there is one five* on:http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1107022126