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Arab Spring Is Now Targeting Algeria

Algeria’s Islamists, in the political wilderness since their last attempt to win power dissolved into civil war, are now trying again, galvanized by the success of their brethren elsewhere in north Africa in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Published

14 years ago

December 8, 2011

Geoffrey Grider

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(Reuters) – Algeria’s Islamists, in the political wilderness since their last attempt to win power dissolved into civil war, are now trying again, galvanized by the success of their brethren elsewhere in north Africa in the wake of the “Arab Spring”.

Riot policemen clash with university students from marching during a demonstration in which they demand political change in Algiers May 2, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Zohra Bensemra

Most Islamists in Algeria have been excluded from political life since the conflict, but in the past few months they have shown renewed signs of activity, much of it conducted from exile to dodge the attentions of the Algerian state.

They have set up a satellite television station based in Europe, sent delegations to Arab countries that saw revolutions this year, and made tentative forays into anti-government protests.

Their chances of success are slim: they are divided into rival ideological camps, hemmed in by the powerful Algerian security apparatus, and, most importantly, discredited in the eyes of many people by a conflict in which they took part and which killed an estimated 200,000 people.

But they see an opportunity in the upheavals of the “Arab Spring,” which have this year unseated entrenched secularist leaders. In neighboring Tunisia, a previously outlawed Islamist movement has come to power, while in Egypt Islamists have taken a strong early lead in multi-stage parliamentary elections.

“Tunisia was an example and launcher of this (Arab Spring) revolution,” said Abdullah Anas, a London-based member of the leadership council of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), which is banned in Algeria.

“It could be a very good example for Algeria.”

LEGACY OF VIOLENCE

Any Islamist revival in Algeria, an OPEC member and supplier of about a fifth of Europe’s imported gas, would have first to shed the burden of the country’s bloody history.

Twenty years ago, FIS was poised to win a legislative election, called after street protests forced the authorities to loosen their grip on power. FIS said it would impose an Islamic state.

The military-backed government stepped in to annul the election. The Islamists took up arms and Algeria slipped into a conflict of horrific violence. Civilians had their throats slit in the street; in the mornings, people woke up to find their towns littered with bodies.

A rump of Islamists, now operating under the banner of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is still fighting. They periodically ambush security forces in the countryside, kidnap Westerners and stage suicide bombings.

But the violence has subsided considerably. A huge security crackdown has rounded up thousands of insurgents. Others have laid down their arms and been granted an amnesty, in exchange for an undertaking to stay out of politics.

This legacy is the biggest obstacle to any comeback by Algeria’s Islamists.

“Since then (the conflict), the Islamist was no longer seen as a hero who stands up against tyranny,” said Soheib Bencheikh, a theologian who used to be the chief cleric at the mosque in Marseilles, France, where there is a large Algerian community.

“On the contrary, he became, in the eyes of public opinion, accountable for the pain and suffering of the people,” Bencheikh told Reuters.

A fear of a return to violence helps explain why Algeria has this year remained relatively calm while neighboring countries have been convulsed by unrest.

TV STATION

But the Islamists still believe that Algeria is ripe for change, and are beginning to take practical steps.

Starting in November, a group of exiled Islamists with links to FIS set up a Europe-based television station, called Rachad TV. Carried by the Atlantic Bird 7 and Nilesat satellites , the station can be picked up in Algeria, where most homes have a dish.

It broadcasts political and social programs where opposition leaders and activists — most of them harshly critical of the government — are invited to comment on Algeria.

At the top of the station’s homepage on the Internet, there is a link to show viewers “how to free your country”, and a second link to help them “organize and participate in unrest.”

The exiles say they are also building contacts with other countries where “Arab Spring” revolts have propelled Islamists into a position of power.

Rachad says on its website that it sent a delegation to Libya in late September to meet officials in the new government, in which Islamists have a prominent role.

Abdullah Anas, the exiled Islamist in London, said there had also been contacts with Rachid Ghannouchi, the head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party. Since an election in October his party leads Tunisia’s coalition government.

Tunisia’s experience had proved that it is possible to open up the political space in north Africa, said Anas.

“Everyone in Algeria must understand that Algeria has room for all … no matter what opinions you have,” he said, calling for a lifting of political curbs and the possibility of power-sharing between previously antagonistic groups.

SALAFISTS STIRRING

Inside Algeria, the most influential Islamist force are the Salafists, followers of an ultra-purist interpretation of Islam. Unlike the FIS, they are tolerated by the Algerian state because their creed forbids participation in politics.

When Algeria was shaken at the beginning of this year by protests sparked by a spike in food prices, the spiritual leader of the Algerian Salafists, Abdelmalek Ramdani, who lives in Saudi Arabia, issued a religious decree.

It said: “As long as the commander of the nation is a Muslim, you must obey and listen to him. Those who are against him are just seeking to replace him, and this is not licit.”

Nevertheless, there are stirrings of political activity by some Salafist preachers.

Sheikh Abdelfateh Zeraoui, a former FIS member and now a well-known Salafist preacher in the Algerian capital, issued a declaration in October saying the government had to enact urgent reforms.

“Political reforms allowing us to have free political activity are key to the stability of the country. Without reforms the country may explode,” the declaration stated.

The preacher has also tried to organize protest marches in the capital, but these have been blocked by the security forces. “We have been barred from politics,” he told Reuters.

The fact that Algerian Islamists are divided dilutes their ability to stage a comeback, said Mohamed Mouloudi, an editor and specialist on Islam.

“They are no longer speaking with one voice,” Mouloudi told Reuters.

“You have the Salafists, the Muslim brotherhood, and the Djaz’airists,(who give priority to Algerian religious traditions) among others,” he said. “You have those who are for a political action, and those who consider political action as illicit.”

SUCCESSION DEBATE

Even so, a debate is now under way in earnest within the Algerian ruling elite, for the first time since the conflict began 20 years ago, about giving Islamists a role in politics.

The focus for that debate — which, like much of Algerian politics, is conducted behind closed doors — is the question of who will succeed President Abdelaziz Bouteflika when his final term ends in 2014.

One camp within the elite is backing Abdelaziz Belkhadem, a former prime minister and secretary general of the ruling FLN party. He is a secularist but is trusted by the Islamists. Opposing him is a camp of hardline secularists who have backing from the powerful security forces.

Friction spilled out into the open when a group of Belkhadem opponents inside the FLN launched a campaign to have him removed from the party leadership.

“It will be wise to promote a man like Abdelaziz Belkhadem who has good ties with Islamists as well as with decision makers inside the regime,” said Mohamed Lagab, a secularist academic at Algiers university.

“Decision makers should take into account that North Africa will be ruled by Islamists ,” said Lagab. source – Reuters

Related Topics:Algeria arab Islamists spring

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Headline News

Trump Declares That The War In Iran Is ‘Already Won’ But A Classified Report By The National Intelligence Council Says This Is Only Just The Beginning

Published

23 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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The National Intelligence Council found that even a large-scale assault on Iran launched by the United States would be unlikely to oust the Islamic republic’s entrenched military and clerical establishment

When you open your Bible, read it, and believe what you read in the context where you find it, you come to some rock-solid conclusions almost immediately. First, you begin to understand that a hundred Hitlers could not wipe the Jews from off the face of the Earth, and that Israel as an ethnically-identifiable nation will exist past the end of the Church Age. The second thing you realize is that Iran, also called Persia and Elam, is fully-functioning as an enemy of Israel during this time as a Muslim Caliphate. Be honest, what does that tell you about the current war?

“Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” Luke 14:31 (KJB)

On paper, Iran is no match for the might and power of the United States, we all know that. And on paper, Iran is not really a match against Israel, either. But battles and wars are not fought on paper, they are fought on the battlefield. The God of The Book concerns Himself with the affairs of nations as Daniel tells us, and He doubly concerns Himself with the affairs of nations that are spoken of by the prophets in the Scripture of truth. The US Department of War will not determine the outcome of this fight, neither will NATO or the United Nations Security Council. What you are watching unfold right now are the pieces of the end times chessboard being moved and put into position by God for the coming Checkmate.

THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND FROM THE BIBLE WHO WILL WIN THE WAR WITH IRAN, CLICK TO ORDER!!

Intel report warns large-scale war ‘unlikely’ to oust Iran’s regime

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: A classified report by the National Intelligence Council found that even a large-scale assault on Iran launched by the United States would be unlikely to oust the Islamic republic’s entrenched military and clerical establishment, a sobering assessment as the Trump administration raises the specter of an extended military campaign that officials say has “only just begun.” The findings, confirmed to The Washington Post by three people familiar with the report’s contents, raise doubts about President Donald Trump’s declared plan to “clean out” Iran’s leadership structure and install a ruler of his choosing.

The report, completed about a week before the United States and Israel initiated the war on Feb. 28, outlined succession scenarios stemming from either a narrowly tailored campaign against Iran’s leaders or a broader assault against its leadership and government institutions, the people familiar with its findings said. In both cases, the intelligence concluded that Iran’s clerical and military establishment would respond to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by following protocols designed to preserve continuity of power, these people said.

Iran has been dealing heavy fire, and they are receiving heavy fire. How long can this thing last? Trump thinks it’s already over, I do not. Comment below on how long you think it will or can go. pic.twitter.com/w7bcJc6pAr

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) March 8, 2026

The prospect of Iran’s fragmented opposition taking control of the country was described as “unlikely,” said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a classified report. The National Intelligence Council, or NIC, is composed of veteran analysts who produce classified assessments meant to represent the collective wisdom of Washington’s 18 intelligence agencies. The CIA referred questions to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which declined to comment. The White House did not say if the president was briefed on this assessment before approving the military operation, which has quickly expanded east to include submarine warfare in the Indian Ocean and west to counter-missile showdowns near NATO member Turkey.

“President Trump and the administration have clearly outlined their goals with regard to Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles and production capacity, demolish their navy, end their ability to arm proxies, and prevent them from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement. “The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed.”

As the war enters its second week, Trump continues to demand Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” as he put it in a Truth Social post, and has suggested he should have a role in picking the country’s next leader.

Trump told journalists that the younger Khamenei is “incompetent” and a “lightweight,” and that he doesn’t want Iranian leaders who will simply “rebuild” the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure.

“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he told NBC News.

Iran’s Parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, rejected the notion that Trump will play any role in appointing Iran’s next leader. “The fate of dear Iran, which is more precious than life, will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by Jeffrey Epstein’s gang,” Ghalibaf said on X, referring to the late sex offender who was close friends with Trump for several years before they had a falling out.

Current and former U.S. officials say they see little sign, at least so far, of a mass popular uprising in Iran or of significant fissures within the government or security forces that will result in a new regime. Iran’s security forces killed thousands of protesters during demonstrations in January fueled by the country’s abysmal economy. The guidance from Trump to the Iranian people has been to shelter in place until the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign concludes.

With Iran’s clerical and military establishment still in control, experts say Trump’s ability to dictate political outcomes is limited.

“Bending the knee to Trump would go against everything they stand for,” said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “The upper echelons of the clerical establishment are ideological, and so their modus operandi is to resist American imperialism.”

Trump could play kingmaker if the regime were to crumble, but the NIC report does not view the establishment’s hold on power as brittle. “There’s no other force within Iran that can confront the remaining power that the regime has,” said Maloney, of the Brookings Institution. “Even if they’re not able to project that power very effectively against their neighbors, they can certainly dominate inside the country.” READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Headline News

In A Stunning Twist, Donald Trump’s Department Of War Turns To Ukraine For Help With Combatting The Relentless Swarms Of Iranian Drone Attacks

Published

2 days ago

March 7, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

SHARE NOW THE END BEGINS:

The Trump administration, which has expressed frequent exasperation with all that has been asked of it by Ukraine, had an urgent request of its own this week.

Today the war with Iran started by Trump’s Department of War is officially one week old, and there are some interesting things to note at this point in the operations. First, President Trump has declared that today “Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.” Second, and rather amazingly, the Department of War has reached out to Ukraine for help with fighting off Iranian drone attacks. Wha….??? How on Earth did we get to that point in only 7 days? Yikes.

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” Revelation 17:17 (KJB)

The key to understanding the things that Trump says is that 50% of whatever he says or posts is not true, 25% of it is gross exaggeration, and somewhere in the remaining 25% if you’re willing to put the work in, you’ll find the actual truth of what’s he’s talking about. Remember last summer when Zelensky was invited to the White House only to be attacked and roundly mocked and humiliated by Trump and Vance? Now the ‘Lethalitymaxxing’ Department of War needs Zelensky’s help? You know what that tells me? That Trump has launched America into a war that we are not prepared for, and that in only 7 days, the whole thing is already starting to unravel. But as unpleasant and unpalatable as that thought may be, it pales in comparison to Islamic terror attacks restarting on American soil. That’s what you need to mentally prepare yourself for. It only gets worse from here.

Unprepared for Iranian drones, U.S. and partners seek Ukraine’s help

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: With swarms of Iranian drones breaching U.S. air defense systems and striking targets across the Middle East, Ukraine — which has spent years confronting nearly identical attacks — was asked to come to the aid of the United States and its partners.

“We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection,” against Iran’s drone systems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday on X. Ukrainian advisers and systems would shortly be on their way to the Persian Gulf region, Zelensky said, because “Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security.”

We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against “shaheds” in the Middle East region. I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security. Ukraine helps…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 5, 2026

It was a rare moment for Zelensky to be in position of lending assistance — however small in scale — a year after he was pilloried in an Oval Office visit with President Donald Trump for pleading for U.S. support with “no cards” to play of his own and for not showing sufficient gratitude. More broadly, however, the U.S. request has focused attention on why the United States and its gulf allies have seemed poorly prepared for retaliatory drone strikes by an adversary that has spent much of the past four years stockpiling lethal “Shahed” drones by the thousands, as well as whether U.S. and other military leaders had absorbed the lessons of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including incursions into NATO airspace.

“If you are planning a war against Iran — the original purveyor of Shahed drones — and you are surprised that Shaheds are numerous and difficult to intercept you haven’t been paying attention,” said Dara Massicot, a defense and security analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“There is a multiyear disconnect between the Ukrainian combat experience and institutionalizing its lessons in the U.S. military,” Massicot said. As a result, she said, the United States and its allies are “reaching out to Ukraine in a time of crisis.”
A U.S. official acknowledged a U.S. request but said it was unclear whether it was before or during the current operation.

“Contact was made on how to work together and benefit from their experience,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive communications. The White House declined to provide further details and referred to Trump’s comments to Reuters on Thursday. The president said the U.S. would accept assistance from any country when asked about Zelensky’s comments. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Headline News

Iran Posts An Apocalyptic And Cryptic Message On Social Media Showing Tel Aviv Being Targeted By A Nuclear Missile In Retaliation For Attack By Israel

Published

3 days ago

March 6, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Is Iran getting ready to launch a nuclear missile on Tel Aviv in retaliation for Israel’s attack on Tehran?

Iran’s latest social media post showing a missile obliterating Tel Aviv is not just another piece of propaganda—it is a chilling glimpse into the mindset of a regime that openly dreams of wiping Israel off the map. When a nation posts imagery of a nuclear-style strike against a civilian city, it is sending a message that goes far beyond rhetoric. It is psychological warfare, intimidation, and a declaration that they see the destruction of Israel not as a tragedy, but as a victory.

“And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 49:38 (KJB)

Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that if war escalates they will strike “the heart of Tel Aviv,” a threat that has been echoed in propaganda banners and social media messaging tied to the regime. In the current conflict, Iran has already launched missile barrages toward Israeli cities after strikes on Iranian territory, pushing the Middle East closer to a direct regional war than at any point in decades. The Middle East stands right now on the brink of a war that no one but Trump and Hegseth wants but likely can’t be stopped if things continue to escalate much further.

Iran threatens to nuke Israel with chilling image showing missile obliterating Tel Aviv

FROM THE UK EXPRESS: Iran has shared a chilling image of a nuclear missile striking an Israeli city, which appears to be Tel Aviv. In a post on X, the account previously belonging to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that “Khorramshahr is ahead”, in reference to the ballistic missile named after the Iranian city.

The Zionist regime has made a big mistake, and its consequences will make the regime desperate, by God’s grace. pic.twitter.com/vBVMXIYjaf

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) March 6, 2026

Included in the post was also a striking image of the missile being developed underground, fired from a mobile launcher, and hitting what appears to be the Israeli city. In another post, the account promised consequences, “by God’s grace”, for “the Zionist regime”.

It said: “The Zionist regime has made a big mistake, and its consequences will make the regime desperate, by God’s grace.”

The city depicted in the image appears to be Tel Aviv, with an Israeli flag and coastal skyline visible. This comes after Tehran launched an overnight attack of cluster bombs targeting Tel Aviv, which were seen in shocking videos flying through the air before crashing into the ground. Huge blazes erupt as they smash into their targets, with witnesses watching on and filming the explosions. The cluster bombs open up as they zero in on their targets, sending around twenty smaller munitions flying out in a radius of roughly five miles. Each of the smaller missiles carries around 2.5kg of explosives, potentially causing huge damage.

Israel also inflicted the worst night of bombing on Tehran since the war began last weekend, launching a “broad-scale wave of strikes” aimed at wiping out the Islamic regime. The intense bombardment on Friday morning saw explosions ringing out across the city, and plumes of smoke and fire lighting up the sky. Residents said their homes shook and they were left without internet and power, plunging them into darkness. A man in his 30s told the BBC: “The house was shaking for five minutes straight. Last night was the worst night.” READ MORE