• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=6/4/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250227
TITLE=ALGERIA / MILITANTS (L ONLY)
BYLINE=LISA BRYANT
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  ALGERIAN PRESIDENT ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA IS EXPECTED TO 
SET OUT CONDITIONS FOR REACHING AN ACCORD WITH THE ISLAMIC 
SALVATION ARMY.  LISA BRYANT REPORTS FROM CAIRO THAT THE A-I-S, 
ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MAIN MILITANT FACTIONS, HAS RECENTLY 
SIGNALED ITS OWN WILLINGNESS TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE 
GOVERNMENT.
TEXT:  ALGERIA'S OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCY REPORTED FRIDAY THAT 
PRESIDENT BOUTEFLIKA WILL SOON DEFINE THE GOVERNMENT'S 
REQUIREMENTS FOR REACHING AN ACCORD WITH THE A-I-S, THE ARMED 
WING OF THE OUTLAWED ISLAMIC SALVATION FRONT.  BUT THE AGENCY 
GAVE NO DEADLINE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL.
THE NEWS COMES ONLY DAYS AFTER THE ISLAMIC GROUP'S NATIONAL 
CHIEF, MADANI MEZERAG, WROTE A LETTER CALLING ON ALGERIA'S NEW 
PRESIDENT TO SEEK A NATIONAL RECONCILIATION THAT WOULD BRING 
PEACE TO VIOLENCE-TORN ALGERIA.
THE LETTER DESCRIBED A SECRET AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE A-I-S AND THE
ALGERIAN MILITARY THAT LED TO A UNILATERAL TRUCE BY THE  ISLAMIC 
GROUP IN 1997.
THE LETTER ALSO STRONGLY CRITICIZED ANOTHER MILITANT GROUP, THE 
ARMED ISLAMIC GROUP, CALLING IT "DEVIATIONIST AND BLOODY." THE 
RIVAL GROUP IS FREQUENTLY BLAMED FOR MUCH OF THE VIOLENCE IN 
ALGERIA, WHERE AN ESTIMATED 70-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED 
SINCE 1992.
THE LATEST DECLARATIONS BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE A-I-S COME AS 
ALGERIANS ARE WATCHING CAREFULLY TO SEE WHETHER PRESIDENT 
BOUTEFLIKA WILL MAKE GOOD HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISE TO RESTORE PEACE 
TO ALGERIA.
MR. BOUTEFLIKA CAME TO POWER IN APRIL, AFTER HIS MAIN RIVALS 
DROPPED OUT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, CITING VOTE-RIGGING BY
THE GOVERNMENT.
LAST WEEK, IN HIS FIRST MAJOR ADDRESS SINCE TAKING OFFICE, 
PRESIDENT BOUTEFLIKA HINTED AT AMNESTY FOR ISLAMIST MILITANTS AND
THEIR SUPPORTERS WHO RENOUNCED VIOLENCE. HE HAS ALSO VOWED TO 
ERADICATE MORE RADICAL REBELS WHO DID NOT.
BUT SOME ANALYSTS SAID MR. BOUTEFLIKA'S SPEECH APPEARED CAUTIOUS.
THEY SAID HIS REMARKS INDICATED THE GOVERNMENT WOULD LIKELY MAKE 
FEW SIGNIFICANT CONCESSIONS TO ALGERIA'S OPPOSITION GROUPS, FOR 
FEAR OF ALIENATING MR. BOUTEFLIKA'S SUPPORTERS, WHICH INCLUDE 
MEMBERS OF ALGERIA'S MILITARY AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY.  (SIGNED)
NEB/LB/GE
04-Jun-99 11:08 AM EDT (1508 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.