It's sad, but I would have to agree with Algerian government, in regards to
an international inquiry. Lets face it, if this happened in the United
States, do you think the U.S. would let a group a foreign countries poke
around in our internal conflicts?
At 01:52 PM 1/8/98 -0500, you wrote:
>
________________________________________________________________________
> We'll deal with our terrorists ourselves, Algeria says
>
> Copyright ) 1998 Nando.net
> Copyright ) 1998 Reuters
>
> ALGIERS (January 8, 1998 06:18 a.m. EST http://www.nando.net) - Under
> foreign pressure after massacres of up to 1,000 civilians in 10 days,
> the Algerian government urged its people to mobilize against "terrorism"
> and reiterated its refusal to allow an international inquiry into the
> mass slaughter.
>
> "The bloody and blind terrorist is targeting the Algerian people without
> any distinction in their ranks, particularly since the start of the holy
> month of Ramadan," the government said, vowing to hunt down the killers.
>
> The statement late Wednesday came just hours after security forces
> announced 62 deaths in attacks in the western province of Relizane and
> that a huge manhunt was under way.
>
> But the cabinet denounced what it called the "dramatic retraction" by
> the international community in its commitment to combat "terrorism."
>
> Several Western nations, expressing horror at the massacres, have urged
> Algiers to do more to protect civilians and called for an international
> inquiry to look into the killings.
>
> "Algeria, the sovereign state, renews it categorical rejection of any
> attempt to interfere in its internal affairs," said the statement after
> Wednesday's cabinet meeting.
>
> "The government considers any attempt (to establish an inquiry) ... as
> aimed at planting doubt regarding the source of terrorism ... and a
> stand that Algeria condemns and absolutely rejects."
>
> The government blames Muslim rebels for the massacres.
>
> "The government renews its call to Algerian men and women to be vigilant
> and mobilize around the national struggle against barbaric terrorism,"
> it said.
>
> Despite its angry rejection of "interference," Algeria has agreed to
> receive a special envoy from Canada who will urge Algiers to be more
> open in dealing with the massacres, an official said in Ottawa on
> Wednesday.
>
> The United States also stuck to its call for an inquiry but, after its
> ambassador in Algeria was lectured about interference, tried to make its
> idea more palatable to the Algerians by saying the aim would be to seek
> facts, not blame the government.
>
> And the German and British foreign ministers agreed Wednesday that a
> European Union delegation should visit Algeria to help the government
> end the massacres.
>
> "We cannot and must not simply watch passively as the murder in Algeria
> takes place," said Germany's Klaus Kinkel.
>
> Britain's Robin Cook said the EU wanted to discuss with Algiers steps to
> end the massacres and that Britain, as current EU president, would put
> the matter to the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting Jan. 26.
>
> Algeria has consistently rejected foreign involvement in dealing with
> its 6-year-old insurgency, in which tens of thousands of people have
> died.
>
>
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