Indeed. Hamas/Hezbollah also lost another leader in Israel this week, too.
The terrorists are unquestionably on the defensive right now.
Posted on 06/20/2004 9:26:10 AM PDT by Dog
Algeria Kills Head of Group Allied to Al Qaeda
ALGIERS (Reuters) - The Algerian armed forces said on Sunday they had killed the leader of a major Islamic rebel group with ties to al Qaeda.
"Units of the People's National Army, engaged in a vast anti-terrorist operation... have killed a number of criminals, including Nabil Sahraoui, alias Mustapha Abou Ibrahim, chief of the terrorist group known as the GSPC, as well as his (three) main aides," the army said in a statement obtained by Reuters. It said the militants died in the province of Bejaia, some 120 miles east of the capital Algiers. It did not say when they were killed, but said the military operation was still going on.
The death of Sahraoui, who took over the leadership a year ago, was expected to significantly weaken the GSPC (Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat) the only remaining major rebel organization still fighting Algeria's secular authorities.
The group, believed to number around 500 armed members, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 32 European tourists in the Sahara desert last year. It is on the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations.
Algeria's President Abelaziz Bouteflika has made it a priority to crush Islamic militants bent on turning the Muslim country into a Taliban-style state.
"The leadership of the GSPC has been decapitated and it will be difficult to rebuild a strong leadership as most of the top officials are dead, under arrest or have disappeared," said Mounir Boudjema, an Algerian security expert and editor.
"It is now a much-weakened group but it's not the end of terrorism as links to al Qaeda remain and some will keep fighting."
Islamic extremist groups took up arms to overthrow the government after army-backed authorities canceled parliamentary elections a radical Islamic party was poised to win in 1992.
More than 150,000 people, mostly civilians, have since been killed, according to human rights groups. Violence has sharply declined over the past two years but the recent alignment of the GSPC to al Qaeda has worried analysts and diplomats.
Earlier this month the GSPC declared war on foreign individuals and companies in Algeria. The move came amid a series of such attacks on foreigners in Saudi Arabia -- where, on Friday, the leader of al Qaeda in the kingdom was shot dead by security forces.
The GSPC was created in 1998 by former members of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) who did not agree with the GIA's attacks on civilians.
Analysts said Sahraoui's death would clear the way for those who wanted to surrender in exchange for some form of amnesty, which he had opposed.
Fyi..
Is it just me or has anyone else come to the conclusion that this administration has more or less conveyed a message to leaders around the world that TS is about to hit the Fan.After last weeks speeches to our military reiterating the Bush Doctrine and that when the President says something he means what he says.
Hope our guys on the ground are thoroughly verifying each and every claim by all of these suddenly successful AlQaeda exterminators.
Pluralism is winning. This has nothing to do with religion.
More good news.
Hopefully the al Qaeda murdering thugs as the tops of their local franchises will meet this fate throughout the world daily and weekly.
BTTT
Mostly good news breaking out all over.
Reprising that.
One does get that impression.
It wouldn't be hard to draw that conclusion. The Iraq sovereignty deadline is not moving and it is looking like the end is near for Al Qaeda. Curious.
The Al Qaedas are definitely having a bad week. I wonder if it will continue.
"The Al Qaedas are definitely having a bad week. I wonder if it will continue."
We can certainly hope so.
Indeed. Hamas/Hezbollah also lost another leader in Israel this week, too.
The terrorists are unquestionably on the defensive right now.
So either they were incredibly stupid/poorly trained, or more likely there are just a small number of evil cowards left alive. At least I hope it's the latter.
Yup. You can run but you can't hide.
bump
Not to mention that I'm also having a bad day.
Freakin UserManager class is missing half the methods I need.
Plus I can't figure out why the user email is coming back System.DBNull when the field specifically precludes null values.
I hate everything. Right now, right this second, I want the terrorists to win. And that's how I will feel until I get this freakin' app up and running.
Its sounds like a new phase in the WAR ON TERROR has begun. Operation: Search and Destroy and get everyone to help!!!
Plus it's Sunday and I've been working all day, plus also it's fathers day and I have no kids, and it's too hot out.
I hate everything.
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