Algeria: Dealing With A Bad Reputation

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October 21,2008:  Warships from France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia are holding training exercises off the coast of Algeria. These nations also cooperate in counter-terror operations and trying to control the illegal migration from North Africa to Europe. While most of these migrants are simply looking for jobs, several percent are Islamic radicals, either fleeing the police, or seeking to work with the Islamic terrorists already established in Europe. In North Africa, the Islamic radicals are on the defensive, despite widespread dissatisfaction with the tyrannical and inefficient governments that control most of the region. The terrorists problem is that Islamic radicalism has an even worse reputation. Al Qaeda has tried to cope with this reputation problem, and expand its network of radicals, but it has not been able to get beyond a radical fringe, who are more feared than supported by the general population. But that fear does not turn into control, because too many of the people have cell phones, and no fear of using them to call the cops when Islamic terrorists are seen.

October 18, 2008: Two Islamic terrorists were killed in a police operation east of the capital. The terrorists were discovered due to a tip from civilians.

October 11, 2008: In the west, four Islamic terrorists were cornered and killed. Four assault rifles and documents were recovered.

October 10, 2008: Eight more Algerian migrants were arrested in Spain and charged with terrorism. The eight were recruiting terrorists and raising money to support terrorist efforts. This is what often happens when Islamic terrorists flee Algeria for sanctuary in Europe. But the counter-terror effort in Europe is becoming more alert to this threat, and watching the Arab migrants more carefully.  Spain and Italy are most frequently the destination of illegal migration from Algeria, and police and diplomatic officials from all three countries are coordinating their efforts to deal with the problem.

 

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