Headline News

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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Cryptocurrency

World Liberty Financial, Owned By The Trump Family, Unveils USD1 Cryptocurrency That They Say Will Give The US Dollar An Upgrade, Why Are They Doing It?

Published

13 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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World Liberty Financial owned by the Trump family looks to cash in big time with launch of their USD1 stablecoin they say will ‘upgrade the dollar’

There is nothing ‘accidental’ about the timing of this. A Trump family–backed venture unveiling a dollar-pegged cryptocurrency called USD1 and branding it as an “upgrade” to the U.S. dollar is not simply a fintech headline — it is a prophetic red flag. And Bible believers should not shrug this off as harmless innovation. This is not about “modernizing money.” It is about accelerating the migration of financial control from physical, decentralized cash into programmable, trackable, controllable digital infrastructure. And once that infrastructure is normalized, it will not matter who built it.

“Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” James 5:3 (KJB)

In the entire 250-year history of the United States, no presidential family has profited off the office of the president to the degree that President Donald Trump and his family are doing right now. Remember the $30 million the Biden family is claimed to have made for selling access to the office? Ha! That amount is so small that to compare the two would be laughable. The Trump family, so far, has made nearly $4,000,000,000.00 to date, and that figure could easily quadruple itself by 2028. But this is more than just a huuuuge payday for Trump INC., this is the foundational system for the Mark of the Beast that will ultimately control all buying and selling. You called them the Biden Crime Family when they profited, but you’re loving it when ‘Daddy’ Trump is the one doing the plundering. Isn’t ‘America First’ great?

Trump family says U.S. dollar needs an USD1 upgrade and they are the ones to do it

FROM CNBC: The Trumps’ company, World Liberty Financial, touts USD1 as an improvement on official U.S. currency. The firm’s website brands its stablecoin as “The Dollar. Upgraded.” And it calls the coin “still the US dollar, but for a new era.” On Wednesday, the firm held the World Liberty Forum at Mar-a-Lago, the club owned by the president and operated as his winter White House.

The event, coming just before the first anniversary of the release of USD1, brought together financiers, technologists, television personalities, the president of the world soccer organization FIFA and the artist Nicki Minaj. From a Mar-a-Lago ballroom stage beneath an enormous stylized golden eagle sculpture, the message to attendees was that the old U.S. dollar needs to be modernized, that the private sector is the place to drive that innovation, and that stablecoins will help taxpayers by creating structural demand for U.S. government debt.

In fact, World Liberty backers argue, the new cryptocurrency they are building is not a threat to the dollar at all, but will help ensure the dollar remains dominant in global crypto finance — because USD1′s value is pegged to it.

But one big question is why, if the dollar needs modernizing, should that be done by the private sector? READ MORE

Trump’s Crypto Empire: The Truth About USD1 & World Liberty Financial

World Liberty Financials’ USD1 isn’t just another stablecoin — it’s a digital dollar with direct ties to President Trump. But what could the President being involved with his sons to launch a new digital dollar mean for America? But could a digital dollar that draws inspiration from Trump continue to divide an already divided country? Coinage took this episode up with no motives to arrive at an answer for you. We just wanted to connect the dots so you can decide the answer to that question yourselves.

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

Prince Andrew Dramatically Arrested On 66th Birthday Over His Connections With Jeffrey Epstein And The Information In The Files Trump Says Are A ‘Hoax’

Published

19 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles and a former prince, has been arrested by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein

The Epstein scandal was never just about one depraved financier. It was about a network, influence and access. The kind of hidden relationships that thrive in private jets, island estates, and closed-door meetings. When exposure begins creeping in from the edges, everyone who ever stood too close to the flame starts wondering if the heat is coming for them next. Today they came for former prince of England Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Who’s next?

“The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.” Proverbs 20:2 (KJB)

We did a podcast cast a few weeks ago, talking about the heavy fallout from the Epstein Files around the world, and how in America, almost no one in the Trump administration seems to be especially worried about it. Donald Trump and Prince Andrew have been friends for many decades, but Trump decided to disavow that relationship as the heat from the Epstein Files got hotter. The friendship between Donald Trump and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, blossomed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, rooted in a shared social circle, mutual interests in golf, and, notably, their association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While they were once described as “good friends” who socialized in high-society circles, the relationship became a liability following the accusations against Prince Andrew regarding his ties to Epstein and sexual assault allegations. Following the 2019 arrest of Jeffrey Epstein and allegations against Prince Andrew by Virginia Giuffre, Trump appeared to distance himself from the prince. Despite photographic evidence to the contrary, Trump told reporters in December 2019, “I don’t know Prince Andrew, but it’s a tough story, I don’t know him, no.

Now that is a fairly stunning thing, to have a multi-decade relationship with someone, and then turn around and say that you don’t know him. Just go to Google and do a search on Donald Trump and Prince Andrew, and you will see a treasure trove of photos going back to the 1990’s. Don’t know him? That’s a crazy thing to say, but further evidence that Trump knows that, at some point, that wheel is going to turn in his direction.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles and a former prince, has been arrested by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein, according to multiple U.K. media reports.

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

United States And Israel Prepare For War With Iran As Satellite Images Show A Furious Rebuilding Of Tehran’s Nuclear Program Previously Thought To Be Destroyed

Published

2 days ago

February 18, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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A military confrontation between the US and Iran could begin in the coming days and be an intensive, multi-week campaign, sources said Wednesday, despite ongoing diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran.

Last June, the United States along with Israel, launched a series of targeted bunker-busting attacks on the 3 major nuclear facilities in Iran. At the time, Trump had said that the attacked had totally and completely destroyed Tehran’s facilities, but that was not to be the case. Iran still retains much of their equipment, and is spending their time right now fortifying it against the upcoming attack.

“For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:” Jeremiah 49:37 (KJB)

Iranian leaders are rushing to prepare for war in case nuclear deal talks with Washington break down, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Tehran has deployed its forces, fortified nuclear sites, and expanded its clampdown on domestic dissent, reflecting the regime’s views that the survival of the regime is at stake. Locals reported explosions in the Iranian capital of Tehran and the southern city of Shiraz on Wednesday, with footage shared on social media appearing to show pillars of smoke rising from the reported explosion site.

Final Pieces Moving Into Place For Potential Attack On Iran

FROM TWZ: A large wave of American airpower is heading toward the Middle East to bolster forces already there as U.S. President Donald Trump considers an attack against Iran. Online flight trackers are showing F-22 Raptors, F-16 Fighting Falcons, E-3 Sentry radar planes and a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane either in transit across the Atlantic or newly arrived in Europe. In addition, a seventh Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer, the USS Pinckney, has recently deployed to the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR) as well, a U.S. Navy official told us.

While we don’t know whether Trump will decide to attack Iran, these are exactly the movements we’ve been expecting, but so far not seeing, in advance of a sustained operation, both defensive and offensive. The U.S. aircraft heading east represents the most intense phase of a force plus-up that began after Trump started threatening Iran over its harsh treatment of anti-regime protesters. Taken together, the force now assembling in the Middle East, combined with the Israel Air Force’s capabilities, including hundreds of fighter aircraft, as well as USAF ‘global airpower’ bomber flights, would be enough for a major operation that could last weeks not days. We will likely see additional assets deploy in the coming days.

This intensifying buildup comes against the backdrop of another round of peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran that wrapped up Tuesday morning Eastern Time with future discussions being planned.

Online flight tracking data shows that at least a dozen F-22s have left Langley Air Force Base in Virginia at about 5 a.m. Eastern, heading east. Their first destination is most likely Lakenheath Air Base in the U.K., a major transit hub for aircraft moving between the U.S. and Middle East. However, we don’t know that for sure and CENTCOM has declined to talk about aircraft, ship and troop movements.

F-22s are primarily America’s most capable air-to-air fighter, but they can also be used to destroy enemy air defenses and strike other ground targets. Raptors helped protect B-2A Spirit stealth bombers during last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. It should be noted that four days before Midnight Hammer, F-22s made a similar transit across the Atlantic and took part in the mission.

On the sea, with the addition of the Pinckney, the Navy now has 12 surface combatants in the area, including the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and its three Arleigh Burke class escorts, three independently deployed Arleigh Burke class ships in the CENTCOM region and two in the Mediterranean, and three Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) also now in the CENTCOM area. There are also nuclear submarines there, with at least one accompanying each CSG, as well as likely guided missile submarines (SSGN), but the Navy does not disclose the location of those boats. READ MORE