Deadly bombings hit Algerian town

Eleven people have been killed and 31 injured by twin car bombs near a hotel and a barracks in Bouira, south east of the Algerian capital, state media say.

Witnesses said the blasts went off in quick succession.

The attacks come one day after a car bomb killed 43 people and injured a further 38 at a police college near Boumerdes, east of Algiers.

In recent months Algeria has suffered regular attacks blamed on Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda.

The country has been rebuilding with the help of oil and gas profits after a brutal civil conflict in which Islamist militants led an insurgency against state security forces.

Many recent attacks have happened in the area east and south of Algiers, which borders the mountainous Berber region of Kabylia.

Passenger bus

Wednesday's bombs went off near the Hotel Sofi and the military headquarters in Bouira, which is about 100km (62 miles) from Algiers, state media reported.

The blast at the hotel hit a nearby passenger bus, reports said.

One of the bombs ripped off the front of the military headquarters, and the blasts could be heard in a radius of several hundred meters, witnesses said.

Just a day earlier, a suicide car bomber drove a car packed with explosives into the entrance of a paramilitary police college in Issers, near Boumerdes, about 50km (31 miles) east of Algiers.

ATTACKS IN ALGERIA 2007-2008 19 August 2008: 43 killed by suicide bombing outside police college in Issers 10 August 2008: Eight killed by suicide bombing outside police station in Zemmouri 8 June 2008: French engineer and driver killed east of Algiers 5 June 2008: Roadside bomb kills six soldiers east of Algiers January 2008: Suicide bombing kills four policemen in Naciria December 2007: Twin car bombs kill at least 37 including 10 UN staff in Algiers 8 September 2007: 32 die in bombing in Dellys 6 September 2007: 22 die in bombing in Batna July 2007: Suicide bomber targets barracks near Bouira, killing nine April 2007: 33 killed in attacks on government offices and a police station in Algiers

That attack hit military police recruits who were waiting outside the building before an exam.

The government said 41 of those killed were civilians.

After Tuesday's attacks, Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni said militants were trying to "loosen the net closing around them".

Algeria's government has long said Islamist insurgents are desperately seeking to raise their profile as they are isolated by security forces.

There have been no immediate claims of responsibility for this week's attacks.

Previous bombings have been claimed by the North African branch of al-Qaeda, known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Those included twin suicide car bombings in Algiers - one against the offices of the UN - that killed at least 37 people in December.

In recent years, Algeria has been slowly recovering from a conflict that began in 1992 when the army intervened to stop hardline Islamists winning the country's first multi-party elections.

Violence has been greatly reduced since the 1990s, but since last year there have been a series of devastating suicide bombings and several attacks against international targets.

The attacks have largely been claimed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which was formed from the remnants of Algeria's insurgency and was previously known as the Salafist Group for Call and Combat.

[9 MONTHS AGO] Rescue personnel carry the body of a bomb blast victim near the Constitutional Court building in Algiers December 11, 2007. Two bombs exploded in the Algerian capital on Tuesday, killing 20 people and wounding 43, a security source said. ( Zohra Bensemra, Landov/Reuters)

Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:34am EDT By William Maclean ALGIERS (Reuters) - A bomb attack east of Algiers killed 43 people and wounded 38 on Tuesday, the Algerian interior ministry said, in one of the bloodiest incidents in years in the OPEC member state.

Algeria, bombing, Algiers, OPEC, Issers, al Qaeda's north Africa wing, Europe, oil, Maghreb, El Watan, Zemmouri, gendarmerie, Kabylie, Tizi Ouzou town, al Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, radical Islamic party, GSPC, Abdelmalek Droukdel

The international community has widely criticized the coup, and in less-great news, "the leader of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb" has publicly announced his wish that Mauritania be transformed into a "Caliphate Style" Islamic state.  For those (like me) who do not know exactly what that means, here's one of MANY definitions...

caliphate (kăl'ĭfāt', -fĭt) , the rulership of Islam; caliph (kăl'ĭf'), the spiritual head and temporal ruler of the Islamic state. In principle, Islam is theocratic: when Muhammad died, a caliph [Arab.,=successor] was chosen to rule in his place. The caliph had temporal and spiritual authority but was not permitted prophetic power; this was reserved for Muhammad. The caliph could not, therefore, exercise authority in matters of religious doctrine.

So, things are going along in Mauritania, with no Peace Corp-specific news.  Though, I can gather by Obie's comments late in the letter, that they are still going ahead with the swearing in of the Trainee's to full Volunteers -- Adam being one of them.

Good luck to everyone, our thoughts are with you.

Hello Volunteers and Trainees:
 
I hope this eMail finds you doing well.  There has not been a great deal of change in the political situation here in Nouakchott over the past few days with the exception of the release from custody of the Prime Minister and a number of other government officials who had been held by the military junta.  The democratically elected President of Mauritania remains in custody.  The coup continues to be strongly condemned by the international community.  The U.S., E.U., African Union, and other countries have all joined the chorus (including Algeria this afternoon).  Most nations have cut all non-humanitarian aid to the country pending the reinstatement of the legitimate government.  The Arab League has not yet taken a collective position on the coup.  The online mainstream press has been relatively good at following the situation in Mauritania.  I would recommend Google News as a good over all resource for news.
 
Press reports quoted the leader of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) as having called for the establishment of a caliphate style state in Mauritania.  I want to assure you all that PC staff members in both Nouakchott and Washington are following the situation closely and your safety and security is our primary focus.  I am in daily contact with the U.S. embassy.  If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (648-1783).  I would be pleased to answer any questions you have.    
 
I would also stress that the mood in Nouakchott remains calm and businesses are operating normally both in Nouakchott and in the regions as well.
 
To the trainees, we are moving forward with your swear-in as scheduled.  At this stage, we are expecting to keep the ceremony low key (no press and no government authorities).  Ambassador and Mrs. Boulware will be joining us for the celebration.
 
I would like to remind you all of the importance of keeping your family and friends informed of your well-being.  Please keep in contact with them! 
 
Thank you all again for your professionalism and positive attitudes.  It has helped a great deal in our ability to manage this situation.  It is my sincere honor to be serving with you.
 
Best Regards --- Obie

Back on the home front, Adam was not able to attend out annual Man's Weekend (for obvious reasons), so we poured a little out to give him mad-props.  That's how we do.

It is not a coincidence that the German Chancellor should send President Bouteflika such a warm letter, encouraging more cooperation between her country and Algeria, in the aftermath of the Georgian War and on the eve of her changing her tone on Georgia's NATO bid.

Clearly, the Germans would like to try their best to keep the Russians and the Algerians (and likely the Libyans as well) from forming an axis that would make Europe more especially dependent on Russia for energy. More [non-Russian] suppliers, in greater volume, would give the Europeans more freedom of action when it comes to Vladimir Putin's geopolitical judo. The Algerians for their part have been friendly with the Germans (the Chancellor's visit last month was Bouteflika's idea), and have rather consistently voiced sympathy for the cartel idea, but their practice is more ambiguous. Still, the Germans have reason to be hopeful.

Bouteflika has had rough relations with the Russians (the Russian official media, perhaps for the first time, outrightly bashed Algeria this spring over the countries' botched MiG deal), and he is said to be rather fond of Merkel at an interpersonal level. Russophilia is being replaced by a penchant to become a more massive European supplier. (It's also interesting to recall some of the imagery from Bouteflika's state visits to Moscow where he was visibly uncomfortable both with the climate and the country's president (who appeared to be no more comfortable on his visit to Algiers).) It is telling that Medvedev has yet to plan a visit to Algiers, indicating that the Russians see Algeria as an increasingly remote candidate for their energy axis. And as a result of the recent War (in which the Russians showed that they could hit the BTC pipeline if they really wanted to), the Germans now more than ever appreciate the importance of maintaining amicable ties with Algeria.

I doubt the Algerians see their future international relations tied to Moscow, even if regime type and military cooperation make them good matches for one another. The Algerians will be content to extend bilateral cooperation with Berlin, and other European capitals, at the Russians' expense and to their own enrichment, while continuing to pull the Russians' chains, supporting them verbally but only occasionally in actuality (especially when doing so holds the prospect of raising prices). There is not a huge demand in Algiers to be seen to be a part of a singular axis of alliance or economics (notice the Algerians' lukewarm embrace of the UPM, which was more rooted in a skepticism of the organization's economic ideology than the inclusion of Israel). Parroting Moscow would limit the options for corruption among the elite, especially if this seriously damaged Algiers's ties with Europe. 

The Algerians are quick to note the importance of non-alignment (this should not be at all mistaken for neutrality) to their foreign policy (it is constitutionally mandated), and this should not be dismissed as hollow rhetoric. The Algerians will play both sides of the continent for as long as they can. The Algerians are enjoying holding the position of strength in their Teutonic encounters and will do what they can to maintain that relationship. They are more equal footing with the Russians, given the importance of Russian armaments to the Algerian military and Algeria's natural gas resources and geography, but see themselves as out smarting them (the Russians no longer hold the debt card, and so there is little the Russians can do to coerce them). If the Russians run out of patience, and stop selling them high end weapons, they will buy knock offs from Beijing (and, they hope, newer equipment from Berlin).

Regardless of these factors, the Algerians are oriented towards Brussels increasingly for historical, cultural and economic reasons that the Russians cannot hope to challenge unless they can up the stakes in North Africa. Given their more aggressive disposition since the secession of Kosovo, they may be looking for a way to do this in the Maghreb. If they cannot, which is not out of the realm of possibility, they will increase their efforts to direct energy outlets elsewhere in Latin America and Africa (not to mention Central Asia).

Widely seen as self-important and arrogant, she had insulted members of the military and the Senate. The Khatou Boukhari Association (KBA), a charitable group established by the former First Lady, was the largest humanitarian group in the country. Members of the Senate accused Khatou of using its funds for bribes and to finance other forms of corruption. Newspapers caught on, releasing the accusations to the public. She filed a libel suit against one paper in 2007 over the charges, but the case dropped. On official visits abroad she called her accusers in the Senate "liars" and fraudsters. Earlier on in her husband's Presidency she had made public statements in which she announced that now that she was President time to "crush" the opposition. Last winter her foundation used its funds to throw an enormous and extortionate party in the capital, featuring a live performance by Cheb Khaled. This as one of the world's poorest country was on the verge of famine amid rising food and fuel prices. For whatever good work it did, KBA was as much a bastion of Third World corruption as could be. Members of parliament threatened an official investigation into its finances; something that would have ended the Abdallahi's presidency with less honor than the Generals' solution to the Sidi problem.

Mauritanians joke that their country's population is really closer to 10 million people. A 7 million strong jinn population lives side-by-side with 3 million or so human beings. These jinn, they say, are responsible for the country's ills, which are so monumental that mortals alone could not have prosecuted them. This said, superstitions and belief in magic are common in Mauritania, a testament to its position at the intersection between Moorish and black African culture. Khatou's resolute and sincere belief in the powers of the black arts are well known. Months ago, members of the Presidential Guard found two female members of Khatou's entourage digging a hole on the grounds of the Presidential Palace. On further investigation they discovered that the women were burying a donkey's head, which had pins and needles stuck into it, with talismans drawn drafted on its cheeks. After the coup, another member of her entourage was arrested carrying a rooster with all its feathers plucked out. On one side of its body, the name of General Ghazouani was written; on the other General Abdel Aziz's. The rooster remains under police custody until further notice. The women served as the First Lady's intermediaries between her Malian and Senegalese "Black Magic Entrepreneurs," whose payment came at the state's expense. She is known to have used "offensive" and "defensive" witchcraft against (mostly female) rivals in Nouakchott's high society, to whom she attributes whatever her woe of the moment may be.

As she inserted herself into the public eye, her husband's credability and popularity dipped. She blabbered and swindled at her husband's expense. Her misconduct is surely amplified by the fact that she is a woman in a society where women with magnanimous (and indeed, obnoxious) personalities have yet to find appreciation in the public sphere. And there is a hint of sexism to be found in the tone of those blaming her for her husband's demise. But her corruption and aggressiveness has a place in the story of the coup, alongside her husband's inability to produce any meaningful semblance of leadership

Does this mean that the U.S. is now going to help take on the non-Islamically run government that has unjustly, overtaken a democratically-elected, U.S.-ally, Islamic government? Didn't think so.

Al-Qaeda 'warning' for Mauritania

Gen Abdelaziz has said he wants to tackle the roots of extremism

An internet message purporting to be from the North African wing of al-Qaeda has urged Mauritanians to take up arms against their coup leaders.

Last week, General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz and other military officers toppled the country's first democratically-elected president.

Gen Abdelaziz said defeating extremism was one of his main priorities.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is largely based in Algeria but has been blamed for attacks in Mauritania.

The government said it killed four French tourists last December, an incident that prompted the cancellation of the Paris-Dakar car rally.

It also blamed the group for attacking the Israeli embassy in the capital, Nouakchott, in February.

The internet message alleges that despite wide condemnation of the coup by Western governments, it would not have been possible without the approval of France, the United States and Israel.

The statement is apparently signed by the leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abdelmalik Droukdal.

The BBC's James Copnall in Nouakchott says Mauritania is extremely poor, and its young people are increasingly radicalised.

In addition the country is almost entirely an empty desert, and the vast open spaces make it easy for illegal groups to avoid detection.

That is one of the reasons the US has funded the Mauritanian military, our reporter says - although that aid has been frozen following the coup.

Update: Check the comments for a contrary bit of news. Confirmations pending.

[caption id="attachment_1268" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Paris and Algiers on the same page?"][/caption]

El Khabar is reporting that the Foreign Ministry in Algiers is "following the developments in Mauritania closely." According to El Khabar, Algiers believes that  it is "too premature to develop any position right now." The article mentions Algerian investment in Mauritanian infrastructure projects and reminds readers that the two countries have had hot-and-cold relations, especially as a result of the Western Sahara problem and Mauritania's brief alliance with Morocco during those two countries' invasion of the Sahara during the 1970's. In another article, El Khabar writes of Mauritania as "a model in the Arab nation -- until yesterday." Their position seems clear.

The previous article (on the FM's reaction) furthermore reminds us of Algiers' commitment to "noninterference in [other countries'] internal affairs." This dedication to state sovereignty is on display elsewhere in Algeria's relations, with Bouteflika having received the Sudanese Minister of Industry yesterday, stressing Algeria's "unwavering support" for that regime and the Minister voicing his appreciation for Algeria's "strong and clear" position on the Sudanese file. The men also condemned "attempts at hegemony or tutelage in the international community." Algeria has been one of the most resolute defenders of the Sudanese regime at the UN, its Ambassador there commonly referring to the violations in Darfur as "alleged" acts of violence. The country has become a corner stone of the Beijing consensus on national sovereignty and human rights (the Sudanese Minister called Algeria an "inspiration for resistance" against the international community). Bouteflika is in Beijing for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, where he is also celebrating 50 years of Sino-Algerian relations. Next week, he will be in Tehran. That will be an interesting visit, and the Russian gas cartel proposal will probably be a topic of discussion, and Bouteflika will, for the nXth time, reiterate his support for Iran's nuclear program and the importance of sovereignty.

But Algiers will likely take whatever France's position ends up being on Mauritania. As France has become increasingly hostile, Algeria will probably follow that lead, betting that Abdallahi will be reinstalled and aiming for good relations with a leader whose men have rebuffed the Moroccans on the Sahara issue. Their commitment non-intervention might show up rhetorically if France takes some heavy action against the coup (this might be in the cards given Sarkozy's recent statement), but it may be more muted than it would be otherwise, because this is France we're talking about. They won't take issue with the result though. Algeria's Beijing-style policy will allow it to condone a successful move against the Colonels, but it will not do so boisterously.

At the same time, though, supporting the restoration would give them a good chance to highlight their differences with the Moroccans. Showing up the Moroccans on an issue like the rule of law, which from Algiers' and its supporters' vantage point is lacking in Morocco's Sahara policy, will come before non-interference, especially on such a low-profile issue. The Moroccans were talking as big a game as they can on 29 July, and Algerian papers have responded by highlighting the damage done to Morocco by the closure of the border. We'll see how this plays into the countries' relations.

Morocco on the other hand is ecstatic. Le Matin's editorial is glowing, describing the Cols. as "nationalists," "patriots," and runs along the lines of a wholesale endorsement. They may see the new government as weak and potentially friendly (Abdel Aziz was educated in Morocco during the country's brief alliance with Morocco), especially on the Western Sahara. There was tension between a Mauritanian delegation and a Moroccan official year over the country's position on the Sahara (I'll have to look up the news story; will post in the afternoon). With a new government, the Moroccans might see this as an opportunity to build a more "constructive" relationship. This is one of the only endorsements I've seen thus far. It will be interesting to see the Algerian reaction. Most papers, El Khabar, El Watan, Le Soir, etc. are less than enthusiastic, from what I can tell as of last night and this morning. 

The junta is calling itself the High State Council, and it has already had problems holding its composition (the list of its members has already changed, as well as has the name). Since the coup was reactive, the Cols. didn't expect Sidi's move against them and the operation was planned literally over night, organizational and conceptional problems are to be expected. The State Council was originally half-civilian-half-military, but this changed before it was actually convened. Abdel Aziz has made himself Head of State and is trying to put out an image of stability and legitimacy. Indeed, there was no coup yesterday; He merely moved to preserve the spirit of 2005. He's promising the persistence of the rule of law, freedom of the press, etc. and is allowing parliament to operate, as well as the Abdallahi government minus PM el-Waghef. A "United Front" against the coup is being formed with several parties (including Adil (Sidi's party), UFP, Boulkheir's party, and the Islamists). The large opposition RFD (Ould Daddah's party) is supporting the coup ("taking note"). Nobody's on the same page. If the officers don't prove they can keep their dealings in order, the French may take more forceful action against them. Things are moving fast.

Update: This was wholly unforeseen. France "totally rejects" the coup, and is demanding that Abdallahi be restored as the country's "legitimate president." In case the old government is not restored "rapidly," the French will take some for of actions. Hypothetically speaking, of course. It seems the French may not be so patient with Abdel Aziz's butter fingers.

But what of the neighbours? Senegal, nothing. Morocco, nothing. Algeria, nothing. Polisario/SADR, nothing. Why? Because they're waiting to figure out who is in charge, and who will win, and what the others are up to.

Interestingly, those countries who have reacted with the most fervor are those with the smallest stake in Mauritania. Those reacting quietly are those with [more or less] vital geopolitical interests in the country. For those removed from the action, the coup is a means by which they can offer evidence of ideological consistency. Things are little more complicated, though, when the action is so close to home.

The Chinese will likely not condemn the coup (as I stated earlier) and will work as assuredly with the next government as they have all those before.

Russia was historically one of Algeria's two main patrons during the Cold War (the other being China), and there is good deal of Russophilia in sectors of the elite (this is also true of other Eastern Bloc countries, like the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, etc. where many Algerians studied; there are clubs dedicated to Russian culture and language in Algiers). Algeria buys 4% of Russia's weapons as of last year, and the modernization of its air force (the key to intimidating and/or defeating Morocco in combat, if the occasion should arise) depends on good relations with Russia. People-to-people links between military officers and ministers in both countries are no longer as strong, though, because of the collapse of the USSR and the promotion of younger leaders on the Russian side with whom the Algerians are less familiar. For this reason, and Algeria's relations with France, it is unlikely that Russia's gas cartel ideas will find much favor except in more militant circles in Algeria, who are kept out of the circles of agency in the country.

China ties, as President Bouteflika stated this week are "ideal". In 2006, the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement that reiterated 50 years of very close ties. The PRC was the first country to recognize the provisional Algerian government during the War of Independence, and trained many soon-to-be Algerian soldiers and officers. For this reason the Algerians have always favored the Chinese over the Russians (I suspect that the "bad attitude" some Algerians attribute to Russian diplomats has something to do with it as well). The Algerians also coosposored resolutions aimed at "restoring China's legitimate seat in the United Nations." Bouteflika has visited China twice, in 2000 and 2004. This illustrates the importance of the Algeria-China relationship, especially to Algeria. The Chinese have a keen interest in Algerian gas, and the Algerians have just as much an interest in Chinese rifles and artillery (the country's primary assault rifle is Chinese made). Many in governing circles thoroughly admire the "Chinese model" of authoritarianism as well. Algeria strongly supports China's world view on state sovereignty at the UN and elsewhere (Africa, mostly). China, as well as Russia, provide cover for Algeria at the Security Council on the Sahara issue as well. China is also very active in construction of every type in Algeria. Algiers now has a budding China town, and Chinese wares, cheap and fashionable, are becoming more and more popular. The China relationship may suffer if locals begin to turn on the Chinese workers/expatriates that do a lot of the labor Algerians believe they should be doing. Even then this would likely be squashed and minimized by Algiers and China's presence would be fortified nonetheless.

We tried his cell, he's not picking up.

The Mauritanian President and PM have been taken into custody by military troops this morning, after state TV went off the air. As I said earlier in the year, it is doubtful that Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (popularly known as Sidi) will complete his full term in office. Surely, this is the case now. The AP's title, "Renegade army officers stage coup" sounds exaggerated to me, as the military as a whole seems not to have been pleased with the utter lack of leadership that characterized Sidi's presidency.

The military's gripes with the President are numerous: His inability to tackle the growing terrorist problem in the country; his economic incompetence (which may well have been as much the fault of a bad world economy as to Sidi's own fumbling); his wife's excesses as the country lunged towards famine and wallowed in poverty, even having gone as far as to hold exorbitant celebration in the capitol featuring Cheb Khaled, and the list goes on. A divided nation with bloated bellies looked for leadership and found passivity and impotence.

Worst of all, he attempted to establish what can only be described as personal rule, and did so incompetently. Imitating his Algerian counterpart by riding to power on the backs of generals and colonels and then pushing them out of the way once he'd moved into the presidential palace in order to consolidate his own power. Doing so required the President to surround himself with well known and well loathed figures from the deposed Maaouiya Ould Taya regime. The progress of his administration looked more and more like that of others in the Arab world. When Yahia Ould Ahmed el-Wagf came on as his new PM he denied that a rift existed between him and the army. Grumbling members of the junta that staged the 2005 coup knew this to be wholly false. The plot line of the Sidi story is the division between him and those military men who deposed Ould Taya, only to see the most odious vestiges of that regime return at their expense. He aimed to sack Cols. Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed Ghazouani and Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, who led today's coup. Both men had engineered the 2005 coup, along with Col. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall.

Continuously pushing towards his own self-destruction by his choice of allies and policy, his term is over and done. And this before he could dissolve parliament after a legion of supporters left his party earlier this month.

For the first time, about five years ago, an Arab officer corps had deposed a long standing dictator and kept their promise to hold free, democratic elections and allowed a civilian leader to take the reins of that country. The democratic process was imperfect, but it was closer to world standards than Lebanese, Jordanian, or Algerian polling. But so incompetent was this man that where it took France nineteen years to say that they would not intervene if his tyrannical predecessor were deposed it took the French barely a year in his case.

In a country like Mauritania where politics is not so much ideological as it is personal, one cannot expect serious changes in foreign policy coming out of Nouakchott in the wake of this coup. The last coup was followed by pronouncements that nothing would change, including the country's diplomatic ties with Israel and its pro-Western disposition. No properties or resources will be nationalized and no foreigners expelled. The Great Powers (the US, especially France, China, Russia, etc.) and the AU and Arab League will likely react cautiously, though the AU is likely to expel the country from its ranks again, as punishment for the putschists (as in 2005). The US will condemn the coup, France is supporting it, though the EU has condemned it, China will condone it, and Russia will as well. Or so I see it happening.

The country is experiencing a crisis of management and leadership. Most likely, the military will hold elections yet again, backing a weak and moderately ambitious, but loyal civilian, who will be elected. Mauritania, whose story is often called sui generis by American editors (i.e., it does not directly link back to Israel, the Palestinians, or something otherwise Levantine; or does not project a "mirror" to the rest of the Arab world), seems ever more just that in comparison with the other Arab states. One cannot contemplate Syrian, Egyptian, Algerian, or Jordanian officers deposing inept leaders and trusting the judgment of the masses in choosing new leadership.

On the other hand, it is just as likely that the new regime will not be able to "reset" the process, despite the widespread distaste for Sidi, and that the coup will put the country back into the warp it fell into in the late '70's eventually creating Ould Taya.

A battle over who can more ably underserve the expatriate community?

Like many large developing countries, Algeria has an enormous diaspora. Several million Algerians and people of Algerian descent live in Europe, North America and Asia. They are valued for their remittances and professional skills. President Bouteflika has repeatedly appealed for overseas Algerians to return and contribute to the country's economic and social development. Links with the community in France and Switzerland more pronounced than anywhere else, given their geographic and political proximity to the motherland. Overseas Algerians elect members of parliament by region, several coming from Europe, others from North America (competing for seats from Quebec to Virginia) and Asia.

Also as in many such countries, this community outreach requires work on the part of the government. Some countries have full ministries for expatriates or diaspora affairs; such is the case in Greece, Lebanon, and Syria for example. Earlier this week, adding more confusion to Algeria's often befuddled matrix of ministries, President Bouteflika has divided these tasks between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by the well seasoned Mourad Medelci, and the Ministry of Employment and National Solidarity, headed by Djamel Ould Abbas. Pres. Decree No. 08-162 delegates exclusive authority to the General Directorate of Immigration, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This directorate is in full Algerian bureaucratic fashion divided in to sub-directorates responsible for different aspects of diaspora relations. The Ministry of Solidarity has, nevertheless, recently established a Supreme Council of Algerian Emigrants. The new directorate is intended to encourage Algerians abroad to participate in the country's development, with special emphasis being placed on doctors, engineers, and other professionals, as well as to advocate for the rights of Algerians abroad, and to organize cultural festival and other recreational activities in the diaspora.

Needless to say, the Foreign Ministry is not happy and Medelci is taking the issue up with the Prime Minister. The new directorate will surely add confusion to the work of both the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Solidarity/Employment, whose work is heavy enough, with Algeria's major employment problems. That Bouteflika approved the decision is a cause for minor concern. A man with long standing bureaucratic experience in multiple ministries over many years, including a notable and lengthy stint as Foreign Minister, should know not to over lap responsibilities, unless he intends to fully shift the duties regarding the diaspora over to the Ministry of Solidarity, which would likely give rise to more corruption within that enterprise. Giving Ould Abbas a slice of the responsibility might be a favor to a man with a reputation for corruption ("conspiracies" as he calls them) might be a favor, in that regard. It could likely just be impolitic behavior by an ill-advised president looking to maintain as much personal loyalty as possible. Neither of the Ministers are military men; Medelci is a career bureaucrat and Ould Abbas a physician. The concern might be the fidelity of Medelci to Mr. Bouteflika, though this is doubtful as he has proved an able Foreign Minister and is known to be on good terms with the president.

Three things may happen after Ouyiahia reviews the issue (as I see it). The first is that he may undo the decision and cite the Presidential Decree. The second is that he will issue a statement on it, noting its potential implications, and then effectively table it, allowing Bouteflika and Ould Abbas to save face, and either disallowing the directorate to get off the ground or to operate in some crooked manner. The third is that he states that it is unlawful and uses it as a means of bolstering his own position, in hopes of gaining support for a presidential bid, upsetting Bouteflika's position. The second possibility is the one I am betting on.

Il Codice dello Statuto Personale è in vigore da quasi 52 anni (l'anniversario cadrà il prossimo

13 agosto), ed è perciò coevo alla proclamazione della Repubblica tunisina nel 1956. Habib

Bourguiba, padre della patria e favorevole a uno sviluppo rapido del Paese in chiave moderna,

caldeggiò la stesura di un Codice della Famiglia derivante da una lettura illuminata del Corano,

che conferisse alla donna tunisina diritti avanguardisti nell'interesse della crescita economica

e sociale del Paese.

Il CSP, di fatto, aboliva la poligamia, sopprimeva il ripudio unilaterale dell'uomo ai danni della donna

introducendo il divorzio giudiziale, la cui richiesta è aperta a entrambi i congiunti, aboliva la figura del tutore

matrimoniale per le donne maggiorenni che si apprestavano al matrimonio. Molte sono state le

modifiche apportate al codice in chiave modernista, anche sotto il governio del successore di

Bourguiba, Ben Ali.

L'emanazione del CSP segnò un momento di demarcazione netto tra tradizione e modernità,

tra islam e laicità delle istituzioni e della società, ma nella realtà, la transizione della Tunisia verso

la modernità è ancora in corso, e spesso la donna è stata “usata” a fini politici e propagandistici,

senza che vi fosse corrispondenza tra quanto enunciato sulla carta e la vita quotidiana.

Il CSP è stato al centro di aspre polemiche da parte degli islamisti tunisini negli anni '80 e '90,

a testimonianza che i diritti ottenuti dalle donne non costituiscono mai una conquista definitiva.

Vi propongo sul tema un estratto della mia tesi, aggiornato al 2008...

csp

It would interesting to see who the largest sellers in the "Other" category (making up 21% of the world total). China is somewhere after Sweden (somewhere in or near the top ten), going by lists I've seen previously. China is Russia's largest customer, and many of its weapon exports are copies of Russian hardware. It'd be interesting to see where those copies go (and where the more notorious destinations, such as Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Myanmar, rank in the tally) . . .

Today, the word of the day is: Maghreb

Now, this word is actually of Arabic origin and is spelled the exact same way in English as it is in French; however, I've included it because it is a rarely used word in America.

Strictly speaking, Maghreb refers to Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco on the northwestern coast of Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. "Maghreb" is a term commonly used in French, since a large amount of immigrants from the area have immensely influenced French culture in recent years.

Exemple: Les parents de Rachida Dati viennent du Maghreb, mais elle est née en France.

Hear it Spoken! Ouais!

Example: Rachida Dati's parents come from Maghreb, but she was born in France.

Just saw one of the best films I've seen in years. It's called La Graine et le Mulet . It's simply a marvelous, human, humane, true, scarring, grabbing film. No wonder it won all major french awards and is on its way to win many many more.

The movie is two hours and a half long and I swear, It feels like 35 minutes and you leave the movie angry that you didn't get 2 more hours to spend with these people.

The characters are so rich, interesting, layered and, most of all, so genuine. I was so moved by this simple story of an old construction worker who wants to "recycle" himself by opening a couscous restaurant on a boat. The movie is full of 10-minute-pointless-dialogues about nothing (think seinfeld without the jokes), 20 minute belly dance scenes, and moments of utter silence. Sounds boring ? How could THAT be a great film ? Well, there you have it : a film who manages to shatter the line between the auteur film and the mainstream thriller. Yes, the film is so suspensful, that you end up asking yourself how/why you were on the edge of your seat during pointless blabber at the dinner table. It has everything to do with the brilliance of the script, the genius of the directing and acting and the finesse of the camera work.

Don't miss that film if you call yourself a film enthusiast. If you don't call your self that, don't take it as a reason not to go see it ! :)