Al-Jazeera: chairman of Algerian Islamic front for Salvation changed
Algeria, Politics, 8/7/2002

A source close to the Algerian (Islamic front for Salvation) said that the third conference for the front, which was held secretly last week in Belgium, had removed from its leadership the chairman of the executive committee abroad, Rabeh Kabeer, because of his stances in which he called for giving up "armed struggle" against the Algerian authorities.

Disclosing news on convening the conference in Brussels raised a storm in Belgium, and one member of the Belgian parliament called for investigation to this issue.

The source said that the conference removed Kabeer because of his stances in which he called for "giving up the armed struggle" against the Algerian authorities. The Qatari al-Jazeera TV station whose correspondent attended deliberations of the conference in Belgium announced that the (Islamic front for salvation) rejects violence taking place currently in Algeria "but it supports the principle of Jihad in situations of legitimate self defense." This is however, the first time in which the front announces condemnation of the acts of violence. Al-Jazeera added "the conferees elected 13 new members in the Shoura council abroad so as to be the sole representative of the Islamic front for salvation." Thereby its numbers increased from 48 to 61.

The source explained that the delegates decided to solve the executive commission of the front abroad and " all standing commissions including the parliamentary delegation." The source said that a new executive commission will be elected " within 48 days " before the end of September and will chose a president for itself. Rabeh Kabeer was alienated from the Shoura council together with other officials, like the third man in the front Ahmad Zawi.

The source said that the conference which was called upon for at the request of the front's c chairman Abbasi Madani, who is in a home arrest in Algeria, was held in Herstal, Liaj quarters and the conference included representatives for the front " from inside " and the outside also from Europe, America and Asia with the absence of Kabeer, his partisans and Ahmad Zawi and with the aims of enabling activists ( inside and outside Algeria from following up the events of the conference and voting, the participants used the Internet web.

Holding the conference secretly in Belgium raised " a big fuss " in Brussels. member of the Senate, the socialist Ann Mary Lezin called for opening investigation on the matter.

Previous Stories:
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  Algerian FM calls for ending Iraq sanctions   (7/29/2002)

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