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Africa North
U.S. mulls putting Algeria militant on 'kill' list: report
2013-02-09
Senior members of US President Barack Obama's administration want to put the mastermind of last month's attack on an Algerian natural-gas facility on a secret "kill" list, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

Adding Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar to a US list for targeted killing would entail a significant US military expansion into northwestern Africa, the newspaper said, citing unnamed US officials.

It would mean extending drone strikes and other lethal counterterrorism operations to the region, the paper added.

Thirty-seven foreign hostages, including three Americans, were killed when gunmen last month stormed the In Amenas gas plant and the Algerian army launched a military assault in response. One Algerian and 29 of the insurgents were also killed.

The push to target Belmokhtar is being led by US military and intelligence officials, the Journal reported.

And some were pressing for a more direct involvement in the hunt for Belmokhtar, whether with drones, other aircraft or American forces, the paper added.

Posted by:tipper

#8  Even if the Algerians ask nicely why should we make the US military a mercenary force to take out moslem nitwits the powers that be don't like. This playing cowboys and indians with moslems will not end well. I'd rather play allies and nazis. That ends better.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2013-02-09 15:12  

#7  Don't get me wrong, some of these guys are deserving. Maybe I'm a little paranoid but I just want to see that our Constitution is adhered to when it come to citizens in the U.S. I see the Constitution being gradually eroded.
Posted by: JohnQC   2013-02-09 15:07  

#6  What's with this administration? They have death panels and kill lists. Abortion is O.K. The death penalty is not O.K. Death by firearms is not O.K. Death by driving off a bridge while drunk is O.K.; murdering some little girl with a golf club, is O.K. Must be difficult dealing with all these inconsistencies.
Posted by: JohnQC   2013-02-09 14:56  

#5  I have no problem drone-zapping Belmokhtar if we find him in Mali. There's no effective indigenous government or military there, and the French certainly won't mind.

But if Belmokhtar is in Algeria then I expect the Algerians to deal with him. If the Algerians need help with that let them ask formally. That's why we have diplomats.
Posted by: Steve White   2013-02-09 14:56  

#4  You must realize that “the media mollusk are not for peace; theyÂ’re for Barack Obama. TheyÂ’ve continued to depict this war president as your good kind of killer; a thoughtful, great leader who agonizes over his kill lists with excruciating care.”

- Mercer

Posted by: Besoeker   2013-02-09 10:28  

#3  An attempt to make the "kill list" politically palatable and, eventually, a mundane thing?
Posted by: Pappy   2013-02-09 09:51  

#2  Secret list? Published in the WSJ? I see that words like freedom, constitution and rights aren't the only terms that this a**holes don't understand.

I figure that the only secret list is the one with Tea Party members and NRA leaders on it.
Posted by: AlanC   2013-02-09 09:20  

#1  The Algerians should be held responsible for policing their own borders and protecting foreign nationals? Evidently we've permitted the Libyans to bring those responsible for the murders in Benghazi to justice. Why the suggestion of different methods?

This entire "kill list" strategy should concern everyone.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-02-09 07:26  

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