December
21, 2006: France believes it is the chief victim of Algeria's success in
defeating the GSPC Islamic terrorists, many of whom have fled to France.
There are already many Algerians in France, and French is a common second
language in Algeria. In the last 18 months, French police have arrested 76
people for Islamic terrorist activity, and aborted at least three terror
attacks. But the French police believe that there are still hundreds of former
Algerian terrorists in France, and many of them are still active. Al Qaeda,
which has absorbed GSPC, is desperate for another big attack in Europe, and the
former GSPC terrorists appear to be the most likely to pull something
off.
December
20, 2006: Police broke up a terrorist support group with the arrest of
five college students in a town 500 kilometers south of the capital. Groups
like the GSPC still have some appeal for idealistic young men, and it is these
people who provide what support the Islamic terrorists have left in the
country.
December
10, 2006: Terrorists attacked a bus carrying Western oil workers near the
capital. One Algerian on the bus was killed, and several foreigners
wounded. The attackers were believed to be GSPC Islamic terrorists, who
have said they would try to wreck the economy and drive foreigners out of the
country.
