Algeria: Pandering Al Qaeda To Death

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June 14, 2011: The U.S. believes that, despite decades of good relations with Libya, and its ruling Kaddafi family, Algeria decided, soon after the civil war broke out in Libya, to not get involved. Over the last few months, Algerian officials have become more active in assisting the international effort to oust the Kaddafis. American intelligence has not detected any aid for Kaddafi coming from Algeria. This would include money, supplies or mercenaries.

The government continues to have problems with religious intolerance. While 99 percent of the population is Moslem, there are Islamic radical factions who believe non-Moslems should not be allowed to operate in an "Islamic nation" like Algeria. So the 60,000 Christians are subject to growing persecution and discrimination. Nearly all these Algerian Christians are converts from Islam. This is blasphemy to Islamic conservatives, and it's become increasingly common for Algerian Christians to be prosecuted and imprisoned for even discussing religion with Moslems. The government has also made it more difficult for Christians to build churches, or convert existing buildings to religious use. When Western diplomats ask the government about this intolerance, the response is either denials or insistence that this kind of behavior is expected from good Moslems. What the government is actually doing is pandering to Islamic conservatives to discourage them from resuming their support for Islamic terrorists.

Algeria believes that the loosely organized "Al Qaeda In North Africa" is going to try and increase its activity in the wake of bin Laden's death, and the fall of the Kaddafi government in Libya. Kaddafi has been very effective against Islamic radical opponents. But now many of these Islamic radicals are prominent members of the new rebel government. However, there has not been a lot of new recruiting, or terror operations, among the North African Islamic radicals. There's been more talk, but the Islamic terrorists are largely disappointed that most of the rebels are pro-democracy, and often quite hostile to Islamic radicalism.

June 5, 2011: Algeria ordered financial institutions to identify any assets belonging to Libya and the Kaddafi family, and freeze them (prevent the owners from moving or using the assets). This is in compliance with international sanctions on Libya. Algeria has long had good relations with Libya, but has decided that getting on well with the international community is more important.

June 4, 2011: East of the capital, a roadside bomb killed four policemen.

May 26, 2011: About a hundred kilometers east of the capital, volunteer security police spotted a suicide bomber approaching a local defense base, and shot the Islamic terrorist before he could set off his explosives.

May 24, 2011: On the Niger border, troops killed three Islamic terrorists and arrested another.

 

 

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