SHTF in Algeria (41 Hostages)

Just thought i would let you all know.

According to Reuters and BFM (an independant French News TV source), roughly (for the moment) 41 hostages have been taken in an Islamist strike in an Algerian Oil field today.

Figures of dead up until now are fairly vague but talk is of at least 1 brit killed and another person of undetermined nationality.

Up until now, rough figures count about 7 Americans amongst the hostages.

www.reuters.com...

To be continued...

Sadly

Rodinus

Our Illustrious President has decided the whole of North Africa is the next stop on our little World Tour for bringing better days and brighter futures to people who aren't asking for it, don't want it and will kill us for attempting it. When I saw your headline, I was hoping it would only be French involved (The French fighting for the Colonization of Algeria goes well back into the 90's and before...Long and BAD history there). Sadly...Americans?

Well... I have to say I have limited sympathy on first glance. Unless they are media. what are they DOING in Algeria? This isn't a major tourist must-see and it's absolutely not a Western-Friendly place to start opening new plants and factories for Western business. So.....we got some intelligence officers or military snagged, eh?

Maybe not...but if they aren't? The bad guys won't care much for the difference. Americans probably ought to stay OUT OF at least a few nations that flat don't want us. Algeria would be on the short list, indeed.

Before people start getting onto my back and asking where i got the 41 hostages figure from... this did not come from Reuters but from BFM in France.

Here is another update from Channel 4 (Apparently a French person has also been killed) :

www.channel4.com...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Our Illustrious President has decided the whole of North Africa is the next stop on our little World Tour for bringing better days and brighter futures to people who aren't asking for it, don't want it and will kill us for attempting it. When I saw your headline, I was hoping it would only be French involved (The French fighting for the Colonization of Algeria goes well back into the 90's and before...Long and BAD history there). Sadly...Americans?

Well... I have to say I have limited sympathy on first glance. Unless they are media. what are they DOING in Algeria? This isn't a major tourist must-see and it's absolutely not a Western-Friendly place to start opening new plants and factories for Western business. So.....we got some intelligence officers or military snagged, eh?

Maybe not...but if they aren't? The bad guys won't care much for the difference. Americans probably ought to stay OUT OF at least a few nations that flat don't want us. Algeria would be on the short list, indeed.

Thank you for your well and quickly written comment Wrabbit,

This is not about the good old U.S of A in my eyes (and probably in the eyes of many others too)... and Westerners have been implanted in Algeria and have helped to maintain jobs over there for many years... ex : textile, oil, telephone platforms and many others etc etc...

I respect that you may have limited sympathy, (could you make things clearer as to why you have limited sympathy please if it's not too much to ask...) it's not happening near to where you live so you have nothing to fear about do you?

Apparently and also in your eyes this place is not a major tourist area?.... (where do you live and where did you get this info from... statistics... figures etc?)

The French fighting for colonisation of Algeria goes well back to the 90s???? That's new to me and to probably 99.999 per cent of the French speaking population on this planet... It goes back Waaaaaay long before that.

Come on Wrabbit, please do some history homework before wrabbiting on about something that apparently you haven't done your homework about please.

I quote "Unless they are media"... could you please make things a little clearer?

My initial thread was to just make people aware of what was going on real time... not to create heavy debates... bla bla bla...

If you don't want to answer to my questions feel free not to, but may i suggest that at least do your homework first before typing please.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

I feel sorry for those people, and I hope this gets resolved fairly quickly.

I don't know anything about the area. Is this something the Algerian government can handle swiftly?

Originally posted by Rodinus

Thank you for your well and quickly written comment Wrabbit,

This is not about the good old U.S of A in my eyes (and probably in the eyes of many others too)... and Westerners have been implanted in Algeria and have helped to maintain jobs over there for many years... ex : textile, oil, telephone platforms and many others etc etc...

It's not about America until they take American citizens in a group of hostages. Under Obama, it may remain something America stays out of. Perhaps. Prior to him? Well, American Hostages have been enough basis to go to war over. Mistreatment of temporary American 'detainees' and prisoners were largely the basis for the final invasion of Panama (Operation Just Cause), for instance.

I respect that you may have limited sympathy, (could you make things clearer as to why you have limited sympathy please if it's not too much to ask...) it's not happening near to where you live so you have nothing to fear about do you?

It's probably important to add that I've read extensively about the DGSE's misadventures into Algeria in the effort for France to retain their colonial rule and power there prior to 9/11. It's a dirty and sorted history...and CIA background to Algeria goes back into the 60's if we want to be specific for how it's not just French history...altough this is France's problem far above anyone else. .

Oh, it'll effect us alright because nothing is happening in isolation over there right now. It's all connected. I just can't feel bad for everyone who creates their own nightmares. If I travel to Iran to call the Ayatollah an asshat ...and am never heard from again, do I rate sympathy? Probably not, eh?

Apparently and also in your eyes this place is not a major tourist area?.... (where do you live and where did you get this info from... statistics... figures etc?)

The French fighting for colonization of Algeria goes well back to the 90s???? That's new to me and to probably 99.999 per cent of the French speaking population on this planet... It goes back Waaaaaay long before that.

Okay, we can get into history and the proper background here.... Hell, I'll be getting into it formally in the course I have this semester on world geography and geopolitics. I believe this region is my 4th week start. Again though..I'm familiar with the history by extensive reading. Just how FAR back into generations do we want to go? I figure the 90's is usually a fair cut off point since prior to that is getting into Fathers and Father's Father of grudges and things done with scores to settle. One must draw a line in practical chat somewhere, eh?

Now for the love of a quiet morning...I'd just intended to make a casual comment and offhanded reference to the tragedy of another hostage crisis dealing with people in places outside their own nation and really where such presence isn't wanted (Obviously). I hadn't expected to be called out like my knowledge of the subject might really have come from your link or even just MSM reports. Heck ..I have a few hours before classes this afternoon though. If we really want to explore the side of your topic dealing with what led to this? It'll be great practice and I have most of that material handy.

reply to post by Rodinus


This is what got to me:

Also kidnapped was a Norwegian gas worker, the newspaper Bergens Tidende said, quoting the man's wife. "I received a phone call from my husband this morning and he said he was kidnapped," the woman said. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry could not confirm the report.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

Originally posted by Rodinus

Thank you for your well and quickly written comment Wrabbit,

This is not about the good old U.S of A in my eyes (and probably in the eyes of many others too)... and Westerners have been implanted in Algeria and have helped to maintain jobs over there for many years... ex : textile, oil, telephone platforms and many others etc etc...

It's not about America until they take American citizens in a group of hostages. Under Obama, it may remain something America stays out of. Perhaps. Prior to him? Well, American Hostages have been enough basis to go to war over. Mistreatment of temporary American 'detainees' and prisoners were largely the basis for the final invasion of Panama (Operation Just Cause), for instance.

I respect that you may have limited sympathy, (could you make things clearer as to why you have limited sympathy please if it's not too much to ask...) it's not happening near to where you live so you have nothing to fear about do you?

It's probably important to add that I've read extensively about the DGSE's misadventures into Algeria in the effort for France to retain their colonial rule and power there prior to 9/11. It's a dirty and sorted history...and CIA background to Algeria goes back into the 60's if we want to be specific for how it's not just French history...altough this is France's problem far above anyone else. .

Oh, it'll effect us alright because nothing is happening in isolation over there right now. It's all connected. I just can't feel bad for everyone who creates their own nightmares. If I travel to Iran to call the Ayatollah an asshat ...and am never heard from again, do I rate sympathy? Probably not, eh?

Apparently and also in your eyes this place is not a major tourist area?.... (where do you live and where did you get this info from... statistics... figures etc?)

The French fighting for colonization of Algeria goes well back to the 90s???? That's new to me and to probably 99.999 per cent of the French speaking population on this planet... It goes back Waaaaaay long before that.

Okay, we can get into history and the proper background here.... Hell, I'll be getting into it formally in the course I have this semester on world geography and geopolitics. I believe this region is my 4th week start. Again though..I'm familiar with the history by extensive reading. Just how FAR back into generations do we want to go? I figure the 90's is usually a fair cut off point since prior to that is getting into Fathers and Father's Father of grudges and things done with scores to settle. One must draw a line in practical chat somewhere, eh?

Now for the love of a quiet morning...I'd just intended to make a casual comment and offhanded reference to the tragedy of another hostage crisis dealing with people in places outside their own nation and really where such presence isn't wanted (Obviously). I hadn't expected to be called out like my knowledge of the subject might really have come from your link or even just MSM reports. Heck ..I have a few hours before classes this afternoon though. If we really want to explore the side of your topic dealing with what led to this? It'll be great practice and I have most of that material handy.

Oh Sugar...

My comp blurped on me when i had just finished typing out a long and drawn out response to your reply Wrabbit...

To cut it shortly, thanks for your well written and truly thought out reply and here is an update :

www.cbsnews.com...

Fingers crossed for those involved.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

reply to post by chiefsmom



Sadly Chief, i do not think that the Algerian Gvt or police forces will (or have the correct capacities) to do anything about it.

This will probably end up with the French RAID or GIGN special police forces (equivalent of UK SAS or US SWAT teams) going in, but probably will not happen straight away, which will unfortunately mean possible casualties beforehand... and then i hate to think what the casualltiy situation will be like afterwards!?

Kindest respects

Rodinus

The Al-Jazerra article seems a little more impartial to me. They are only reporting around 6 people kidnapped - not 41.

The firm said it had just under 20 employees at the facility, of whom more than 10 were Norwegian.

Seems unlikely they kidnapped 41 if only 20 work at the place. The CBS article also claimed the kidnapper was Mokhtar Belmokhtar but...

"We are members of al-Qaeda and we came from northern Mali," the caller told AFP by telephone. "We belong to the Khaled Abul Abbas Brigade led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar."

..which may sounds trivial but...

Belmokhtar, renowned for the eyepatch he has worn since losing an eye, is one of the historic leaders of the North African group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

I'm not sure if a major figure would be conducting a kidnapping/hostage situation himself. I guess time will tell which news agency has the facts right.

I'm sure I heard on the BBC Americans had been taken hostage too?

reply to post by fenceSitter



This claim made 33 minutes ago :

www.guardian.co.uk...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Originally posted by khimbar
I'm sure I heard on the BBC Americans had been taken hostage too?

Apparently 7 Americans taken hostage but to be confirmed.

Well I can answer a few questions as I live in Algeria and am a Canadian/Aussie, my husband is Algerian and works for an oil company in the sahara. I live on the Mediteranean sea though far away, near Skikda, and I can tell you not statistically but based on living here for 4 years there are not many foreign nationals such as me. I have only ever met one American female here who was a tourist and that was 2 years ago to answer the part about statistics. I am an artist and obtaining a contract to teach english so I stay largely self sufficient and in a tightly secured home as there is danger here mostly the risk is at night. As far as history goes, years ago an Islamist party democratically won the election and the current government would not allow them to take power, that was the cause of the revolution some 15 years ago where hundreds of thousands on both sides died and the people lost. What remaining islamists there were retreated to the mountains, and there are still pockets hidden in the mountains who every so often you here being bombed. The majority of these islamists left for the sahara where they could smuggle weapons and drugs. This was the birth of AQIM I believe, which is a goverment term, and not what an average Algerian deems them as. Now what remains in Algeria is major poverty high unemployment, government oppression, and corruption with regards to banks and land. In 2014 there is speculation the current President Bouteflika will stepdown and all hell will really breakloose when whoever takes power fails to pacify the people with dwindling resources, so it is imperative now that the region is stablilized. Now with the war in Mali, it may have the opposite effect as we are seeing. I myself am worried, being here and hope it doesn't get worse. I have surrounded myself with family and am lucky to live in a town where I have family who are police and military though again if i wasn't so lucky I would leave. My heart goes out to those who have been kidnapped and I pray for their safety as do most of the general population of Algerians.

reply to post by CottonwoodStormy


Thank you Cotton for your reply.

My heart and thoughts go out to you for the difficult times ahead, but from what i read you are surrounded by the right people.

I personally feel that with the French forces going into Mali (which unfortunately had to be done), this has set off a chain of events that are only going to ecscalate and give more excuses or reason to militants to execute more and more cowardly actions and create more and more panic and havoc throughout the world. Shame really that other countries are not 100% supporting France with ground troops, but then again, there is no oil involved! So minimum support is being given by certain countries.

Such a shame that others in the international community are not reading this thread to share their points of views and share rl news about this issue, (perhaps i should mention that the hostage takers are using the keyword "GUNS"!!??

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Originally posted by Rodinus
reply to post by CottonwoodStormy

 

Thank you Cotton for your reply.

My heart and thoughts go out to you for the difficult times ahead, but from what i read you are surrounded by the right people.

I personally feel that with the French forces going into Mali (which unfortunately had to be done), this has set off a chain of events that are only going to ecscalate and give more excuses or reason to militants to execute more and more cowardly actions and create more and more panic and havoc throughout the world. Shame really that other countries are not 100% supporting France with ground troops, but then again, there is no oil involved! So minimum support is being given by certain countries.

Such a shame that others in the international community are not reading this thread to share their points of views and share rl news about this issue, (perhaps i should mention that the hostage takers are using the keyword "GUNS"!!??

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Thank you, your dead on, it had to be done, but it also is opening a big can of worms, and this is just the beginning. I have heard there is logistical support from US, UK, and Canada is also sending planes and lets hope the African forces get it together soon to take over this endeavour militarily though Algeria is already implicated in all of this by granting its airspace and support. I failed also to mention there is a huge population of people from France here as well, they either worked in France are dual nationals and retired here, or go back and forth so I think if I was a French national I would be rethinking my security here for sure especially in the Desert. As you mentioned guns, yes, mostly smuggled from Libya hey. It will not be cool if the people suffer any further around here then they already do or there could be a belated Arab spring here too.

reply to post by CottonwoodStormy


Good comments Cotton.

Ok, time for me to go get some sleep eye now as pretty tired.

Will be back to share my thoughts on this situation tomorrow morning French time after a couple of mugs of coffee.

Take care all

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Here's the post i made earlier, but it was removed because i forgot to leave a comment. Ooops.

Islamist militants attacked a gas field in Algeria on Wednesday, claiming to have kidnapped up to 41 foreigners including seven Americans in a dawn raid in retaliation for France's intervention in Mali, according to regional media reports.

Article

Possible retaliation to the failed rescue a few days back if the rebels are from Mali?

Originally posted by DarknStormy
Possible retaliation to the failed rescue a few days back if the rebels are from Mali?

Algeria's gov just made a statement on al-jazeera tv here that the "armed gang" are Algerians seeking revenge for the intervention in mali to show solidarity with the Islamists in Mali. I also just spoke with my husband who works in the sahara in a similar oil company 700 kms from where this happened and he says they are beefing up security now around al of these oil fields.