The Algeria believes that the Libyan revolution has had the support of the West because the country is rich in petroleum and Qaddafi. When at the beginning of summer, the Emir of Qatar visited flight to Algiers to meet with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika bore a message: don't help the Gaddafi regime. In other words, do not replace the tanks and armored Libyans destroyed by Nato with identical means provided by Algeria.
Authoritative military sources from Arabic, it appears that President Bouteflika – who in Algeria is the figurehead of the military virtually as Syria Assad is the figurehead of the Baath party – has given his word to Emir of Qatar, but then rimangiarsela. Many Russian-made armored vehicles used by Gadhafi in the desert are brand new; I certainly do not have the air of having spent the last five years between the sands of Libyan desert. The role of Qatar in Libyan conflict remains one of the unsolved mysteries of this war – last week in piazza dei Martiri in Tripoli (the now former square green) also waved flags of Qatar – and the same can be said of the role of Algeria. The Arabs are not surprised to learn that many family of Gaddafi sought refuge in Algeria. For years the Algerian independent policies support – even if you maddening – because of Gaddafi by their history have learned one thing: never accept orders from abroad.
At the same time as the French occupants, colonizers and persecutors of Algeria for 132 years – decided to bombard the Libya, the stubborn resistance of the Gaddafi regime appeared to Algerians a reissue of the revolution against the French occupation led by Fln Algerian between 1954 and 1962. Even if the Libyans for over forty years do not have access in their schools in the history books, know only too well the sufferings of their country. The Fezzan (Libyan Sahara), the mountain and stony desert South of the coastal towns, was occupied by French troops after the end of World War II to protect the frontier of Algeria, then still part of the French Empire. For centuries the arid border between Libya and Algeria is one of the favorite routes for smugglers. Bring the Gaddafi family into exile in Algeria did not lead to a massive military operation. It was a gesture typical of Algerian Foreign Minister to disclose the presence of the Gaddafi family in Algeria. The Algerians like showing the West – especially to the French that their freedom, their faith in the nation scarred by Algerian Islamist – revolution of 1990-1998 – may not be trading goods with Western countries.
We will not have to read the usual titles like "The Gaddafi family found in secret refuge in Algeria." The Algeria had every right to be compassionate towards the Libyan Arab brethren. If they want Libyan rebels, Nato allies may regard the decision of Algiers an "Act of aggression". It should also be remembered that the battle conducted by Gaddafi against enemies domestic Islamists – a battle insignificant by comparison of fierce and bloody war between the Algerian Government and internal enemies tied to al Qaeda – has wrought some sort of Alliance between the Gaddafi regime and various military regimes "Democrats" who have been in power in Algeria.
The proud Algeria would have to abandon his fate the elder brother Muammar just because the Arabs of the Gulf and the European powers (at least some) have turned against the Colonel? French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007 embraced Gadhafi, less than four years after he bombed. The Algeria do not turn your back to his friends. This is, at least, the way in which the Algerian authorities can explain their attitude. But there are among the security services of the two countries, which have resorted to torture, political assassinations and massacres to crush the will of the people, contacts less clear and more bloody. Many times the Algerians have passed to Colonel Gaddafi's intelligence information gathered in the course of their activities "anti-terrorist". The history of Algeria includes more bloodbaths – 150,000 dead, mostly civilians have an enormity than not many cases of torture and political assassination of Gaddafi's Libya – but both Governments knew that to stay in power you need to know how to use the iron fist.
Moreover, Algeria does not want to become a second Libya. The country is relatively freer and more democratic than it was in tremendous years ' 90. But it is believed – not without reason that the Libyan revolution has had the support of the West because the country is rich in petroleum and Qaddafi. The Algeria possesses the octaves gas reserves in the world in order of magnitude and is the fourth country in the world exporter of gas. Under the sands of the deserts lie 12 billion barrels of oil and 27% of current oil exports is directed toward the United States.
Algerians know very well that if the Libyans had exported potatoes, the West would intervene with the same zeal with which would have invaded Iraq if the main economic resource of Saddam Hussein were asparagus. Useless then getting illusions or pull the issue at stake "democratic". House wife and sons was a Gaddafi's gesture aimed more to the West what remains of the old tyrannical regime of Libya.
Robert Fisk from Beirut
© The Independent
Translation of Carlo Antonio Biscuit
from the fact newspaper of September 1, 2012
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