Butaflika urges for the elimination of terrorism
Algeria, Politics, 7/5/2003

The Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika announced that "terrorism is directly responsible for the crisis which hit the country as whole, and should be eliminated," while the US called on the Algerians to "look forward to the future" after the release of the two leaders of the Islamic Front for Salvation, Abbas Madanai and Ali Balhah.

Meantime, Balhah performed Friday's prayer at Bin Badis mosque in the popular quarters of Deyar al-Shamas at the heights of Algiers in atmospheres of calm and caution.

One of the area's citizens said that Balhah went to that mosque because he used to have great support in it when he was a leading figure in the Islamic Front which was desolved.

In a speech he delivered on the 41st anniversary of Algeria's independence which was yesterday, Butaflika said "Algeria has now come out of the tunnel, still carrying the traces of the shock it had." Butaflika noted the "heroic fighting" launched by the army against the armed Islamic groups since 1992. He said that the "people's national army responded to the call for the nation which was targeted by evil forces," stressing that the "military establishment knew how to be up to the level of the sublime mission during all crisis inflicted on the Algerian society."

In Washington, the spokesman for the US Department of State, Richard Boucher, said that at a time when violence continues to decrease in Algeria, peace and stability should be the priority of all Algerians. He expressed the hope that from now on, the Algerians will be looking forward to the future by overcoming the acts of violence which causes the killing of 100,000 persons during ten years.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco creates committee to prevent plague creeping in from Algeria   (7/3/2003)
  Madanai, Balhah released   (7/3/2003)
  Amnesty International to move toward the liberalization of moroccan POWs in Algeria   (7/1/2003)
  Algeria: 17 killed in a military plane crash over houses   (7/1/2003)
  Moroccan POW tells story of horror in Polisario jails   (6/28/2003)
  French airlines resume flights to Algeria   (6/26/2003)

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