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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Headline News

TEHRAN SHOCKER: As Iran Reveals Massive Underground Missile Facilities, The Tide Of World War Trump May Be Shifting Away From US And Israel

Published

8 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Tehran has plenty more cards to play in World War Trump from anti-ship cruise missiles to activating allied militias and sleeper cells

The fourth week of open war between Iran, Israel, and the United States is not bringing de-escalation — it is exposing just how much the Iranian regime has been holding back. Tehran has now attempted a long-range missile strike on the U.S.-U.K. base at Diego Garcia, demonstrating a reach of roughly 2,500 miles, a capability far beyond what most analysts believed Iran possessed. That is not a warning shot — that is a revelation. Now would be a good time to start praying for all the US soldiers put in harm’s way. NTEB has long enjoyed support from a large sector of active duty US servicemen and women, and we love you guys right back, so go get’em. Semper Fi!

“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)

The West has assumed escalation dominance, but Iran is now signaling that it can stretch this war far beyond the immediate region. A 2,500-mile strike capability brings U.S. bases, shipping lanes, and allied infrastructure into a much wider threat envelope. That changes the strategic equation overnight. The battlefield is no longer just Israel and its borders — it is rapidly becoming global. And here is the part no one wants to say out loud: if Iran still has capabilities it has not yet revealed, then what we have seen so far is only the opening phase. The idea that the tide is safely in favor of Israel and the United States is beginning to crack. Not because Iran is winning — but because Iran is proving it can prolong, expand, and complicate this war in ways that drain time, resources, and certainty from its enemies. Wars are not only won by firepower alone. They are won by endurance, positioning, and the ability to change the battlefield faster than your opponent can react. Right now, Iran is signaling it intends to do exactly that. Long-range missiles, proxy forces spread across the Middle East, maritime choke points, and asymmetric warfare tactics all remain firmly on the table. What we are watching is not collapse, but calculated escalation. This is the moment where miscalculation becomes catastrophe.

NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO CHECK IN WITH THE PROPHETS WHO SAW ALL THIS COMING, CLICK TO ORDER!!

The hidden weapons Iran is keeping in reserve

FROM THE iPAPER: Iran is revealing new military capabilities as its war with Israel and the US enters its fourth week, and the regime still has more cards to play, from as-yet-unseen missiles to allied militias and sleeper cells abroad. The missiles fired at the US-UK Diego Garcia base demonstrated a range of around 2,400 miles, far beyond previous estimates of Iran’s capabilities.

Tehran’s military also deployed the Haj Qasem, a newly developed medium-range ballistic missile with a half-tonne warhead, for the first time this week. Iran’s most powerful weapon, the Khorramshahr-4, has been used in greater numbers in recent attacks. Regime officials remain bullish despite heavy personnel and material losses inflicted by US-Israeli air strikes, and are threatening escalation.

Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said in an interview this week that: “We are using weapons in this war that we have not used in the past, and we will use them more in the coming days.”

After a sharp decline in Iran’s rate of fire of missiles and drones after the first days of the conflict, open-source conflict trackers say both launches and hits have increased, amid reports of declining interceptor stockpiles in the region. Deep Dive Defence, a pro-Iran military analysis blog, said that Iran has been practicing a strategy of “low intensity preserving warfare” in the hope of exhausting the US, Israel and Gulf allies, leaving high-value targets exposed to more damaging strikes. This week, Iran claimed a series of confirmed impacts in Israel, including on the Haifa refinery and strikes on critical energy infrastructure across the Gulf region.

Hey Pete, $200,000,000,000.00 is a LOT of money to spend to fight an enemy that is, as y’all are telling us, is “decimated” and “obliterated”. How about telling us the truth for a change? @DeptofWar @SecWar pic.twitter.com/YpF0lZG4bK

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) March 20, 2026

Iran continues to introduce surface-to-surface missiles to the war, and scored a notable success this week with a surface-to-air strike that brought a first hit on a US F-35 fighter jet. The US military said the aircraft was damaged but made an emergency landing, with the pilot in a stable condition. Iran has also tested – but not used in combat – space launch vehicles, such as the Simorgh and Zuljanah, which US analysts believe could be repurposed as long-range ballistic missiles, with a potential range in excess of 2,500 miles. Iran can achieve a similar range – sufficient to hit Diego Garcia – by reducing the size of the warhead on missiles such as the Khorramshahr-4, experts believe.

BREAKING NEWS: Footage captures the terrifying moment an Iranian ballistic missile submunition directly impacts Jerusalem’s Old City, exploding with violent force. Maybe Iran will blow up the mosque at the top? Hello, rebuilt Temple! pic.twitter.com/eDoybNiEQx

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) March 20, 2026

The regime is also known to have amassed a large stockpile of cruise missiles, including anti-ship variants that could prove effective in close-quarters fighting if naval vessels attempt to break its blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Farzan Sabet, an Iranian security and politics specialist at the Geneva Graduate Institute in Switzerland, said Iranian cruise missiles have not been effective in previous rounds of fighting against Israel but “could do more damage against less-prepared and nearer Gulf countries countries that have less time to track and intercept” them.

WHAT??? How did CNN get full access to secret underground missiles bases in Iran? Something is not right, well, lots of things continue to defy expectations here on Day #22 of World War Trump! pic.twitter.com/26e5tPwhwo

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) March 21, 2026

He added that its anti-ship missiles “could be very effective against civilian and even military vessels” in the narrow confines of the Hormuz Strait, although this has yet to be tested in practice. The US military has signaled its concern with a series of bunker-buster strikes along the coastline of the Strait that it said were targeting anti-ship cruise missile placements.

Donald Trump has pledged to seize control of the vital shipping route, and suggested the US Navy could provide escorts for oil tankers, but military planners are wary of exposing vessels to the dangers they would face, which could include marine drones and mines as well as missiles. 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

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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

Artificial Intelligence

Pentagon Makes Stunning Move To Incorporate The Palantir Maven AI Smart System As A ‘Program Of Record’ For It’s Long-term Warfighting Lineup

Published

10 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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The Pentagon has chosen the Palantir Maven AI War System software platform to become a ‘program of record’ in its warfighting lineup

While Peter Thiel is stationed across the street from the Vatican giving lectures on the coming Antichrist, his dystopian company Palantir is busy bringing in the Mark of the Beast System. To that point, news coming out of Washington this morning shows us that the Palantir Maven AI War System software has just been adopted by the Pentagon as a ‘program of record’. The Palantir site says that Maven “powers real-time, AI-driven decisions in critical government and commercial enterprises in the West, from the factory floors to the front lines.” What could possibly go wrong?

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 2 John 1:7 (KJB)

I know it feels like we are living in a movie like those Christian prophecy films from the 1990’s, but in reality, we are living in the days where prophecy is unfolding from the pages of your King James Bible. To a lost world, and even to the lukewarm Laodiceans who are saved but clueless, things are confusing and baffling as they bounce from one bad headline to another. But to those of us that read and believe The Book, it is crystal-clear what’s going on. World War Trump may or may not wind up being WW3, but sooner or later, that’s the station where this train is pulling into.

THERE IS SO MUCH NEW STUFF TO SEE AT THE BIBLE BELIEVERS BOOKSTORE, CLICK TO BROWSE AND SHOP!!

Pentagon to adopt Palantir Maven AI as core US military system

FROM YAHOO! FINANACE: Palantir Maven artificial intelligence system will become an official program of record, Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg said in a letter to Pentagon leaders, a move that locks in long-term use of Palantir’s weapons-targeting ‌technology across the U.S. military.

In the March 9 letter to senior Pentagon leaders and U.S. military commanders, Feinberg said embedding Palantir’s Maven ‌Smart System would provide warfighters “with the latest tools necessary to detect, deter, and dominate our adversaries in all domains”. The decision is expected to go into effect by the close of the current fiscal year, which ends in September, according to the letter, which was reviewed by Reuters and has not been previously reported.

The Pentagon announces adoption of the Maven AI Warfighting Smart System software by the world’s most evil company, Palantir. This is what Maven does. pic.twitter.com/SA6sWxN6ON

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) March 21, 2026

Maven is a command-and-control software platform that analyzes battlefield data and identifies targets. It is already the primary AI operating system for the U.S. military, which has carried out thousands of targeted strikes against Iran over the last three weeks.

Designating Maven as a program of record will streamline its adoption across all arms of the military and provide ‌stable, long-term funding, Feinberg said.

The memo ordered oversight of ⁠Maven be moved from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency to the Pentagon’s Chief Digital Artificial Intelligence Office within 30 days. Future contracting with Palantir will be handled by the Army, the letter said.

“It is imperative that we invest now ⁠and with focus to deepen the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across the Joint Force and establish AI-enabled decision-making as the cornerstone of our strategy,” Feinberg wrote. Palantir and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Feinberg’s order is a significant win for Palantir, which has landed a growing stream of contracts with the U.S. government, including a deal announced last summer with the U.S. Army worth up to $10 billion. Those awards have helped ‌double the company’s stock price in the past year, lifting its market value to nearly $360 billion. Maven can rapidly analyze huge amounts of data from satellites, drones, radars, sensors and intelligence reports, and use AI to automatically identify potential threats or targets, like enemy military vehicles, buildings and weapons stockpiles. READ MORE

I Worked At Palantir: The Tech Company Reshaping Reality

A former Palantir employee is sounding the alarm. The tech company, founded by Peter Thiel, claims they can revolutionize government systems with their AI-powered software. They’ve been hired by the Department of Defense, the FBI, ICE, and even Wendy’s. Is Palantir the world’s most evil company? Watch and decide!

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

Missiles Are Falling In Jerusalem, America Preparing For Ground Invasion Of Iran, Stocks Plummet And Oil Skyrockets As The World Slides Toward The Edge

Published

23 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Missiles Strike In And Around Jerusalem As Trump Considers Ground Invasion And Investors Dump Stocks On War Fears

Iran is not just firing missiles into Israel in general—they are now striking in and around Jerusalem, the city that God chose to place His name there. The spiritual and geopolitical epicenter of the earth is once again under direct attack, and the timing of it, alongside everything else unfolding, should not be lost on anyone paying attention. What began as retaliation has now become escalation, and Jerusalem is in the crosshairs. While all this is going on, the United States is moving steadily closer to full-scale war footing.

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.” Zechariah 12:2 (KJB)

Behind closed doors in Washington, Pentagon officials have done far more than talk. Detailed operational plans for deploying American ground forces into Iran have been drawn up and presented. Senior commanders are submitting specific requests, positioning troops, and preparing logistics for what could become the largest Middle East ground war in a generation.

This is not early discussion—this is late-stage preparation. And while missiles fall in Jerusalem and generals prepare for war, the financial system is reacting exactly how you would expect when the world senses that something big is coming. The markets are dropping hard. Traders are not confused—they understand escalation when they see it. A widening Middle East war, the potential for U.S. ground invasion, and threats to global oil supply are combining into a perfect storm. Oil prices are surging, volatility is spiking, and investor confidence is cracking under the weight of uncertainty.

BREAKING NEWS: Footage captures the terrifying moment an Iranian ballistic missile submunition directly impacts Jerusalem’s Old City, exploding with violent force. Maybe Iran will blow up the mosque at the top? Hello, rebuilt Temple! pic.twitter.com/eDoybNiEQx

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) March 20, 2026

This is how it always begins—not with a single collapse, but with a series of shocks that rattle the system until something finally gives way.

And now look at the full picture:

Iran launching attacks that reach Jerusalem
Israel fully engaged in a growing regional war
The United States preparing for boots on the ground
The global economy beginning to shake

Everything is converging at once. Jerusalem under fire, America preparing for invasion, and the global financial system trembling. That is not coincidence—that is alignment. Because every time Jerusalem becomes the focal point of global conflict, the stakes are never just political. The city sits at the center of both world history and God’s prophetic timeline, and when it becomes the target, it signals that events are moving into a different phase.