French interior minister concludes co-operation visit to Algeria
2008-05-07
Michèle Alliot-Marie, France's Minister of the Interior, met with top Algerian officials on Monday and Tuesday to discuss co-operation in counter-terrorism and disaster relief operations, as well as France's proposed Mediterranean Union project.
By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 07/05/08
 [Getty Images] French Minister of the Interior Michèle Alliot-Marie and her Algerian counterpart Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni discussed security co-operation during the French minister's visit to Algiers which concluded on Tuesday (May 6th). |
French Minister of the Interior Michèle Alliot-Marie concluded two days of meetings Tuesday (May 6th) with Algerian officials on strengthening regional relations and co-operation in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
The French official met with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to discuss a recent agreement on civil protection, the proposed Mediterranean Union project, and discussed means of enhancing security co-operation with her Algerian counterpart, Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni.
Alliot-Marie expressed her country's desire to benefit from Algeria's experience in fighting terrorism since the early 1990s. She said terrorism is a trans-national phenomenon that continues to threaten all countries of the world. As a result, she continued, the fight against it should start on a bilateral level and then expand to a global level.
The French minister noted that terrorism has abated in Algeria, as it no longer enjoys widespread popular support, and added that the incorporation of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat into al-Qaeda was merely an attempt to resist demise. She concluded by saying the shift towards suicide operations is as an attempt to solicit media attention.
French interests in Algeria have been cited as targets by terrorist groups. Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's second-in-command, called on his supporters in the Maghreb region last year to intensify their operations in order to drive the French and the Spanish out.
In her remarks to the press, Alliot-Marie made careful mention of the close co-operation between the interior ministries in both countries, for the safety of both nations against terrorism and organised crime, as well as natural disasters. To that end, the Algerian Civil Defence Directorate and its French counterpart signed a co-operation pact, with 2m euros allocated to organising Algerian civil defence groups to provide relief in natural disasters such as fires and earthquakes.
Talks on French President Nicolas Sarkozy's proposed Mediterranean Union centred on the plan's strategic significance. Alliot-Marie said France seeks to include all countries of the region in the project over the coming 20 years, forming a bloc that will allow Maghreb nations to compete and not be "dwarfed" by other regional organisations.
According to Ech Chourouk, Alliot-Marie also met with Minister of Religious Affairs Bouabdallah Ghlamallah, urging him to push for more tolerance towards members of other religions settled in Algeria and for greater freedom in practising Christianity in the country.
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hoggar Posted 2008-05-08
Sarkozy is having trouble convincing Algeria of the Mediterranean Union Project (UMP) so he sent the most Chiraq-like representative of the government to Algeria, especially as Kouchener kindly received a flat refusal with regards to the visit to Algeria he made in April. Let us not forget that Alliot-Marie was a candidate in the UMP before joining Sarkozy’s camp. In any case, I get the feeling that Sarkozy’s France is doing some candy coating and the only ones saying they are satisfied are the people who deserve blame—that is to say: the corrupt regimes that look somewhat like that of Tunisian president Ben Ali. Sarkozy made a serious mistake in declaring in Tunis that Tunisia was some sort of an example of democracy when the population of Gasfa is clearing out of the city. 140 people have already arrived in Algeria, fleeing from Ben Ali’s police-state dictatorship. Frankly, this is shameful! I did not appreciate Sarkozy’s formulation on the North-South partnership at all either, wherein he said we have intelligence in the North and you have the manpower. This is an indecent formulation and a real insult to the Maghrebis. What is more, I think that Algeria is aware of its strengths and I think that its reserves seem legitimate and quite worthwhile. As for Algeria’s financial reserves, they will add up to $200 billion between now and 2010. 2008 alone is predicted to be at $80 billion in oil and gas revenue. Thus, the UPM is clearly pointless for Algeria, especially as it always pays cash for its imports. French opinion is one of dissatisfaction with Sarkozy and this political pressure, I think, is causing change in French politics to become urgently necessary. To be continued!!!
FATEH Posted 2008-05-13
The National Service in Algeria is completely unjust in form.
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