The ‘Great Game’ for Algeria

By Adnan Khan

As the French intervention in Mali reaches its first month, it is Algeria that continues to receive global media headlines. The Ain Aminas hostage crisis thrust Algeria into the limelight and highlighted the nation’s close relationship with Europe. The Northern African nation on the Mediterranean has historically been important to Europe and especially France. Due to its sheer size and close proximity to Europe, Algeria plays an important role in North and West Africa. This is why a number of nations are competing for influence over the country.

Algeria came under French rule in 1848 and, unlike the British and other European colonialists, the French attempted to assimilate the majority Muslim dominated populace of Algeria into French culture and customs. During this period the French created a small French-speaking indigenous elite in order to consolidate their authority over the country. Until independence, the whole Mediterranean region of Algeria was administered as an integral part of France. Algeria was one of France's longest-held overseas territories, and 50,000 French people emigrated to Algeria between 1825 and 1847. These settlers benefited from the French government's confiscation of land. The Algerian war of independence from 1954 - 1962 attempted to change the status quo and after an estimated 50,000 deaths the Evian Accords were signed, giving Algeria its apparent independence.

French Intervention in Mali: It's 'War on Muslims'

By Umar Sani

The United Nations and West are silently watching the butchering of Muslims at the hands of Assad’s Forces in Syria, and have failed to stop the daily massacres. Their claims of Human rights are once again exposed. Compare the situation of Syria with Libya where Western forces (NATO) led by US, intervened under the pretext of protecting the Libyan people from Gadafi’s regime. Only few hundred people were killed by Gadafi’s forces while as almost 100000 people have been butchered by the brutal Asad forces. Asad has used all means including mass murder, rape, phosphorus bombs, assassinations, etc. to silence the Syrian people who have risen to end his barbaric dictatorship. Gadafi was also a dictator, but was very popular in Libya and thousands of people fought on his side against the rebels during the war. There was no civil war like situation in Libya but still, NATO intervened in Libya and Gadafi, leader of a sovereign country was killed in cold blood by French Special Forces in Sirte. But in United States’ book of logic, there is no need of intervention in Syria.

This shows the double standards of UN, USA and the west on human rights who interfered in Libya on mere killing of few hundred people but are silent on butchering of Syrians by Assad forces. West has nothing to do with the human rights and freedom of people of these countries, its only aim is to loot their Abundant natural resources. It uses different pretexts to fulfill its evil designs in the Muslim world. Some have been attacked under the pretext of fake ‘War on terror’ like Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan, etc. some for having ‘never to be found’ weapons of mass destruction like Iraq. Some for their mineral resources like Libya. They also want to prevent the return of Khilafah in the Muslim world.

French Plans in Mali

By Adnan Khan

As soon as 2013 started, French military forces started Operation Serval and began pounding targets in Mali backed by air support and a multilateral African force. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the deployment was necessary to “stop the advance of criminal and terrorist groups,” with President Francois Hollande adding that the troops would stay “as long as necessary” to halt the nations slide into the hands of extremists. Irrespective of the statements coming from the West there are four issues that need to be addressed in order to understand why Mali is the latest nation on the West's radar.

 
Firstly, Mali was thrown into turmoil when junior military officers overthrew the civilian government a month before general elections were to take place in April 2012. Under Mali’s constitution a President cannot seek a third term and the ousted President did not express any intention in seeking it neither, nevertheless a coup still ensued. The coup that took place was with the help of the US, US diplomats confirmed that: "The coup leader Captain Omedua Ahmedou Haia Sanogo had been chosen from among elite officers by the U.S. Embassy to receive military training to combat terrorism in the United States." He added that "Sanogo travelled several times to America on special missions ..." The US had only recently expanded ties with Mali signing a number of deals, including agreements to train Malian forces through hand picking officers that would travel to the US for training.