Hi,
Was trawling through Google news and found this article ..

Algeria captures Sahara terrorists
23 September 2003

ALGIERS - Algerian troops have captured a group of terrorists believed to be responsible for the kidnap of 32 western tourists in the Sahara desert earlier this year, newspaper reports said Tuesday.

The 50 members of the GSPC terrorist group were hiding in a mountainous region about 300 kilometres east of Algiers.

The army is reported to have killed 15 of the terrorists during the operation and seized a considerable haul of weapons.

Thirty women and children who were being held by the terrorists were freed by the troops.

The GSPC is regarded as the most active Islamic terrorist group in Algeria. Between February and April this year they kidnapped 32 tourists from Germany, Switzerland, Holland and Sweden, who were released in August.

One of the hostages, German woman Michaela Spitzer died while in captivity.

DPA


Can't be anything but good news, but is it good enough ????

Pete

What is the origin of this info ?
I've found same info about the killing of 15 terrorists of GSPC , which is responsible of the capture of tourists BUT NOT REALLY THESE terrorists : this last group can operate in Sahara and (may be) not the groups operating in North Algeria .
I hope that your info is completely true but we have to wait a little .

RR.

While I share your relief that if the news are true, the world did become a slightly better place, I would hardly call any bit of news that includes 15 people killed as good news, no matter their affiliation.

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Happy Travels,
Andras

FJ Expeditions

I wonder if they are jumping the gun - would not be the first time - and that the dead are indeed GSPC, but not the actual kidnappers.

Then again, they must have surely have been tracking them in readiness to pull off a raid like this..

I read lately that Germany has been given the kidnappers' names by Alg so that they can issue warrants. PPP...

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Throughout the hostage saga, the GSPC guys who were directly responsible for taking the hostages, seemed to do the 'smart' thing and remain elusive.

With a potential bag full of 60 million euros the smart thing would not be to head back to the Atlas and hide with more hostages. So GSPC guys killed: yes - probably, european hostages takers: no chance.

Hi,

Re. Rory' post

>What is the origin of this info ?

Website is:

www.expatica.com/germany.asp?pad=190,205,&item_id=34425

Other news articles referred to in posts above :

www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DEB336975.htm
15 Islamic rebels killed - reported by Reuters

www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=2DF1073E-8417-4204-902C2C226291EF7E

Arrest warrants issued - reported by voice of America.

re: andrasz post - It was not the news that 15 people had been killed that I was referring to as good news - death is death and I believe the taking of life is wrong at any time. I would have been more pleased if they had been arrested. I hope the majority of readers understood the title of the post. I apologise for any offence.

Pete

The terrorists terrified several people by taking them hostage for money, one person died because they wanted to go on vacation, and the family members of the hostages went through hell not knowing what happened to their loved ones. I'm not grieving over 15 dead terrorists. They chose the life of terorisem, that is what happens.

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John

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John

I agree with John.

You make your bed, you lie in it.

Sam.

Source of the message that the kidnappers were surrounded came from a false translation of Algerian newspapers, I found the message also in German-speaking newspapers.

What happened in the Babors mountains in the north of Algeria was an operation against terrorists who were obviously living with their families in remote sites. In Algerian newspapers, it was speculated that the terrorists wanted to use them as human shield, they were approx. 30 - and the link to the hostages was ...apparent...

My French is far from perfect, but the author who created the message this thread is based on needs some lessons.

Regards,
Peter

[This message has been edited by PeterM (edited 25 September 2003).]

I agree with John and Sam on this one!!
The loss of any life is unfortunate but the terrorists chose their path in life and have had to pay the consequences.
"An eye for an eye.........."

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ChrisC

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ChrisC

re PeterM post .... "My French is far from perfect, but the author who created the message this thread is based on needs some lessons."

All I did was quote an article written in English. If the article has been translated wrong don't point the finger at me - look at my second post and follow the link yourself !

"The loss of any life is unfortunate but the terrorists chose their path in life and have had to pay the consequences......"

This makes a certain sort of sense but the world is often more complicated than that. The GSPC arose because democratic elections in Algeria were cancelled when the "wrong" party was about to win a hefty majority. Democracy is OK as long as the result is OK with the west??

Mandela was once a terrorist who was put in prison for plotting a bombing raid. He's made a fine recovery from that status.

I'm not defending the GSPC, but the world is more complicated than bad guys doing wrong because they are bad guys. There is this thing called history.....

Just to clarify, no offence taken, and none meant. I also fully agree with, and support the action taken, I simply suggested it's not something to be happy about...



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Happy Travels,
Andras

FJ Expeditions

@plewis

When I pointed to someone's translation error, it was dpa, the German news agency: Normally, afp is faster and more accurate, and the English translation of a German text probably based on a French...

Reading carefully, you will find very different meanings between French and German afp releases. The point is: Dealing with dubious or even real desinformation messages from Algeria, single words make the difference.

@actual reports

To show this on the actual Babors mountains operation: Last week, 15 terrorists were killed and additional 60 were encircled. That week the Army had 10,000 deployed, well, counting all security personnel in the surrounding wilayas somehow engaged in something (I would cut the number by 2 or three still taking all logistics staff into consideration).

This week 150 were killed, although daily reports speak of 3 to 15 killings and/or arrests a day. Some Algerian newspapers state that 105 were defined, the rest is unclear, some don't. We now have 11,000 troops deployed and 300 terrorists encircled...How did they enter the circle?

GSPC as culprit for everything is the same: They are known for attacks on security forces and therefore are target No.1 for the army, but if there's GSPC inside when GSPC is stated remains an open question.

Regards,
Peter

[This message has been edited by PeterM (edited 30 September 2003).]