From: jisrawi@PHYSICS.RUTGERS.EDU
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: Algeria: Article from New York Times -July 29-
Date: 30 Jul 92 17:11:03 GMT


 
           **********************************************
           * Major points from Youcef Ibrahim's article:*
           *                                            *
           *     ALGERIA DESCENDS INTO MORE CHAOS       *
           *     The New York Times -- July 29,1992     *
           **********************************************
 
- Western diplomats and some Algerian officials warn that the North African
  country is drifting towards social and economic chaos and perheaps civil 
  war. With attacks by Muslim dissidents multiplying weekly, and the govnmt
  floundering in its attempt to shore up a collapsing economy, Algeria is
  experiencing a palpable breakdown in law and order and a loss of confidence
  on the part of the public.
 
  Editorials in the free-wheeling Algerian press this week strongly reflected
  public discontent. This has been reinforced by the initial results of an
  inquiry into the assasination of President (of whom?) Mohammed Boudiaf that
  indicate the killing was a result of a conspiracy by people in the gvnmnt.
 
  In a statement on Saturday, the six members of the commission, several of
  whom were personal friends of the president, charged the gvnmnt with
  "blameworthy and criminal instances of negligence in its failure to protect
  Mr. Boudiaf on June 29.."
 
  The statement said the still incomplete investigation showed that...
  Boumaaraf, a second-Lieut. in a special army brigade, did not act alone, 
  that he did not "have the profile of a kamikaze, and that the complicity 
  of fundamentalists was far from evident, despite the gvnmnt assertions".
   
  A leading Algerian Newspaper "La Nation" reflected the national mood...
  when it said "complicity at the highest level of decision-making".
  The damning but inconclusive results of the inquiry, which has yet to
  further indentify the people involved, coincides with an increase in
  deadly conflict between armed Muslim fundamentalists and security
  forces (this man could have added as well: "living of the fringes of 
  society, having no popular mandate, but want to impose an Islamic State 
  on the Algerian poeple").
  
  Even More Violence: In the last month there have been daily reports
  of home-made bombs exploding in public places throughout Algeria.
  Telephone and electric lines have been destroyed, and armed men on 
  motocycles and in cars shoot and kill policemen and soldiers with
  increasing frequency. Army units conduct what is becoming active
  anti-guerilla warfare against increasing numbers of armed fundamentalist,
  some of whom fought with the Afghan mujahideen against Russians.
  (may I add: "and thus no very well how to bring down tyrants".)
 
  Hopes for an opening by the gvnmnt toward the fundamentalists were dashed
  when the new leader of the supreme state council, Ali Kafi, excluded 
  militant followers of the Islamic Salvation Front, the country's largest
  and most powerful party (so, le FIS n'est pas fini n'est ce pas? qul
  muutuu bighayDhikum)...Instead the council vowed to intensify its crackdown
  on fundamentalists, a move that has already led to a major and growing
  challenge by the militants against all symbols of authority (c'est la 
  propre reponse a ceux qui ont voue restorer une authorite qui n'est plus la
  leur).
  Belaid Abdessalam policy..."Dismissing talks of privitizing the economy,
  particularly the highly inefficient state entreprises, Mr Abdessalam said:
  "I am not here to provide
  opportunities fro vultures" (so he knows it's dying!!), instead he offered to 
  Algerians a return to the fialed attempt to revitalize the public sector.."
  thus risking suspension of foreign aid
  without which Algeria cannot function (the FIS has been calling for this
  since the coup...may be it is better this way, no favors from anybody, an
  honorable, clean victory "nasrun mubeen" what more one can ask for?)
  But, in the view of many Algerians and foreign diplomats, this shift
  has left the impression of a gvnmnt unable to articulate credible solutions 
  to the nation's entrenched economic and social crises (since when these
  theives were able to carry out such a task? and further, what is this 
  business of restricting the matter to economy? Algerians are not worth
  the freedom to choose their leaders? The FIS was chosen out of despair 
  and frustration, we got to fix bread for them, and they'll do just fine.
  Dr. Hocine Mekias, who was elected is incarcerated, while Mr. Abdessalam, 
  who sought the same seat but lost it is the Prime Minister, whose plan is
  supposed to work -- shear hypocrisy-- how can we forget? For those who want
  to check, it is in Daira of Ain Kebira, Wilaya de Setif)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.turkish:7918 talk.politics.mideast:16984 talk.politics.soviet:6309 soc.culture.greek:6688 soc.culture.europe:6539 soc.history:6567