Can’t help but wonder why Osama been dead for 5 and a half years would set his sights on Algeria.  Think he would have enough trouble getting dialysis twice a week on the run like he is, i mean, if he wasn’t already dead…

Maybe somebody wants you to think it’s Osama…

A few interesting article documents I read on this topic after seeing the video here.

Although Algerian nationals were not among the suicide bombers of 11 September 2001, they have featured prominently in subsequent investigations into al-Qaeda activities in North America and Europe. In the UK, where an Algerian community has grown as a largely unknown minority in recent years, several dozen Algerians have been arrested since mid-2001 in localities as widely spread as Leicester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Manchester. Arrests in London in January 2003 uncovered a cell producing ricin, while in Manchester, one of the Algerian detainees, 27-year old Kamel Bourgass, was responsible for killing a police officer – the first victim in the UK’s post-11 September anti-terrorist campaign.

Above Source: http://www.algeria-watch.de/en/analyses/algeria_terror ism.htm

The GIA adopted violent tactics in 1992 after the military government voided the victory of the Islamic Salvation Front, the largest Islamic opposition party, in the first round of legislative elections held in December 1991.

Between 1992 and 1998 the GIA conducted a violent campaign of civilian massacres, sometimes wiping out entire villages in its area of operation (see List of Algerian massacres of the 1990s; notably the Bentalha massacre and Rais massacre, among others.) Since announcing its campaign against foreigners living in Algeria in 1993, the GIA has killed more than 100 expatriate men and women in the country. The group uses assassinations and bombings, including car bombs, and it is known to favor kidnapping victims and slitting their throats. The GIA is considered a terrorist organisation by the governments of Algeria, France and the United States. Outside of Algeria, the GIA established a presence in France, Belgium, Britain, Italy and the United States.

Above Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_Islamic_Group

in closing, i have to agree that Algeria seems like an ideal place for bin laden to set up a new base camp. :(

Well randyha, you’re so correct here as far as the terror activities in Algeria since the 90’s. But…I don’t know that it’s only about Islamists.

Here again, the West has so rankled these African and Middle Eastern countries with all of the Centuries old colonialism. It hasn’t been that long since Algeria freed itself of that influence, and that had less to do with al-Qaeda style terrorists than it did to do with Algeria simply demanding her Independence from France.

I’m not suggesting that most of this wasn’t perpetrated by an Islamist movement, but terror certainly isn’t new to Algeria, and al-Qaeda hasn’t always been the source for it.

Anyway, this makes me very sad. Guess I won’t be making any visits to the area any time soon. I really had hoped to go next year.

Algeria has been a hotbed for Islamists since the 90s so it makes sense for bin laden to set up shop there. Algeria is also the perfect spot for a launching pad against Europe for its proximity.