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| Africa North |
| Algeria says won't host US base |
| 2007-03-04 |
| Algeria said on Saturday its cooperation with Washington's war on terrorism was "profitable" but it would never agree to host a United States military base on its territory. The US has conducted joint training exercises in countries around the Sahel as part of the "Trans-Saharan Counter Terrorism Initiative" to counter militancy in the region. And it has reinforced military cooperation and intelligence sharing with Algeria, an Opec member itself emerging from more than a decade of an Islamic uprising, igniting rumours in the Algerian media that Washington would like to set up a military base in the country. "I can confirm that Algeria has a fruitful cooperation with the United States in the fight against terrorism. Both sides see it as profitable for the security of the two countries as well as for other countries," Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Bedjaoui told state radio. "The Algerian territory is absolutely not concerned by the implementation of the American African command ... To be clear, Algeria will never accept a foreign military base on its land." Violence in Algeria broke out in 1992 after the then military-backed authorities, fearing an Iran-style revolution, scrapped a parliamentary election that an Islamist political party, the Islamic Salvation Front, was set to win. Up to 200 000 people were killed in the ensuing bloodshed. The violence has subsided sharply in recent years but al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, is still claiming responsibility for attacks. The country was hit by a chain of bombings in January and February. The group changed its name in January after it said it received approval from Osama bin Laden. Analysts in the region say there are signs of increasing cooperation between Islamist militants groups across national borders. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #4 Besides, we have bases in Djibouti, Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Morocco, Kuwait, Mali, and joint usage rights in a lot of other places in North Africa. Try looking up the "training facilities" listing for USSOCOM in North Africa sometime, we have bases or access to bases throughout the region now. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2007-03-04 21:11 |
| #3 I'll bet this means whatever bases we open won't be in populated areas. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-03-04 15:29 |
| #2 IIRC Morocco has agreed to bases |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-03-04 15:21 |
| #1 Why would we ever be stupid enough to want to PUT a military base in Algeria? Leave it to the Frogs. If we're really in need of a military base in N. Africa, let's destabilize Libya, get Daffy the Muzzy Duck hung from a palm tree, and reopen Wheelus! |
| Posted by: mac 2007-03-04 13:59 |