Algeria: Terrorists Trying to Bring Back the Bad Old Days

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March 9, 2007: Terrorist violence was down slightly in February, with 18 dead and 15 wounded, compared to 21 dead and three wounded in January. The few remaining Islamic terrorists in northeastern Algeria, appear determined to go down fighting and killing. Since the GSPC announced its merger with al Qaeda last year, there has been an increase in bombings, and a decrease in the traditional massacre of civilians with knives and guns. Apparently, al Qaeda convinced the GSPC terrorists that they would anger fewer Algerians if they blew people up, rather than slitting their throats. A decade ago, the GSPC was killing up to a hundred people a day, but now, it takes up to six months to cause that much mayhem.

March 4, 2007: East of the capital, Islamic terrorists ambushed a police patrol, killing five police and destroying three vehicles. March 3, 2007: Islamic terrorists ambushed some foreign oil workers, and killed a Russian engineer. March 1, 2007: Islamic terrorists made ten attacks on security personnel east of the capital, but only two people were wounded, and the terrorists were driven away. Another clash with Islamic terrorists, 200 kilometers south of the capital, left three policemen dead.