Algeria: Terrorist Campaign Bounces Along

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April 12,2008: An Algerian Christian, who had converted while living in Britain, was given a two year suspended sentence for taking part in missionary activities in Algeria. In most Moslem countries, Islamic conservatives demand police action against any Moslem who converts to another religion, and punishment of any non-Moslems involved. In many Moslem countries, there are laws prohibiting such conversions. Moslems consider it their right, and duty, to convert others, but deem it illegal for anyone to try and convert them. This has long been a source of friction between Moslems and non-Moslems. The Algerian government supports these prohibitions in order to deny Islamic conservatives an issue. The government has, so far, prevented the Islamic radicals from gaining any traction, and is willing to sacrifice good relations with local Christians to assist the counter-terror effort..

April 11, 2008: Three car bombs went off in the capital, killing two dozen and wounding nearly 200. One of the bombs was apparently an attempt to kill the prime minister, who has been effective in developing and directing counter-terrorism programs. About a hundred kilometers east of the capital, police killed two Islamic terrorists. Meanwhile, 55 kilometers east of the capital, police arrested six terrorists, and seized explosives and weapons.

April 10, 2008: In Morocco, police closing in on four Islamic terrorists, saw three of them die by setting off explosives. One policeman died in the explosion. Another terrorist survived the blast and was shot dead after he drew a sword and came at the police. Documents collected at the scene provided lead to a search for ten more Islamic terrorists.

In Mauritania, police arrested an al Qaeda leader, who was trying to escape dressed as a woman. The arrested man, Maarouf Ould Hadib, was believed the leader of a gang that killed four French tourists last December.

April 9, 2008: Some 55 kilometers east of the capital, police intercepted a group of Islamic terrorists on their way to attack a construction site. Two policemen were killed and two wounded.

April 7, 2008: Another kidnapper deadline passed yesterday, as the Austrian government refused to deal for two Austrians held by Islamic terrorists in Tunisia. The kidnappers had demanded $8 million, plus several Islamic terrorists freed from jail. The new terms demand that Austria withdraw the four Austrian soldiers serving in Afghanistan, and free two Islamic terrorists jailed in Austria. The two captives are believed held in Mali.

April 5, 2008: A roadside bomb, on a rural route in the mountains 55 kilometers east of the capital, went off and killed a soldier, and wounded three others. There are many roads in these parts, making it easy for terrorists to find places to place these bombs, because any patrols will have to come by.

March 31, 2008: Interrogations of captured terrorists revealed yet another plan to kill prime minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem. Several such plots have been uncovered in the past year, indicating the high priority such an operations has for al Qaeda, and the constant losses being taken by al Qaeda in Algeria by counter-terror operations.

 

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