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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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Conspiracy Theory

PROPHECY NEWS MIDWEEK UPDATE: Today Is Day #7 Of A Complete And Total Media Blackout Of Benjamin Netanyahu Who Has Nothing To Say About The War

Published

7 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Where Is Bibi? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Missing From Public View Since March 12 As Deafening Media Silence Raises Serious Questions

A sitting Israeli prime minister like Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu does not just “disappear” from public view for days on end without explanation — not in a region that is the geopolitical epicenter of the world, and certainly not in a time when every move in the Middle East is tied directly to end times momentum. When the cameras go dark and the microphones go silent, that’s not transparency — that’s control. This is exactly the kind of thing that should make people stop, look twice, and start asking real questions instead of passively consuming whatever narrative is handed to them.

“Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 28:15 (KJB)

And let’s be honest about something: if this were any other world leader, the corporate media would be running 24/7 countdown clocks, panels of “experts,” and breathless speculation. But here? Near-total silence. That tells you everything you need to know.

The question isn’t just “Where is Bibi?” — the question is why aren’t they telling you? This is how narrative management works. Information is not released based on truth — it’s released based on timing, strategy, and desired outcome. When something doesn’t fit the script, it gets buried, delayed, or outright ignored. That’s not journalism, that’s gatekeeping. From a prophetic standpoint, Israel is always front and center, exactly where your King James Bible says it will be. Everything that happens in that tiny strip of land has global consequences, and leaders like Netanyahu are not just political figures — they are key players on a stage that is moving, inch by inch, toward the time of Jacob’s trouble. You are watching the pieces move.

“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:7 (KJB)

Whether this absence is strategic, medical, political, or something else entirely, one thing is certain — when information is withheld, it is because someone, somewhere, has decided you are better off not knowing. And that is always when you should lean in closer, not back away. Keep your eyes open. Watch Israel. Watch the silence just as much as you watch the headlines. Because sometimes what they don’t say is the biggest story of all.

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

Drones

FALSE FLAG ALERT: As Unidentified Drones Tauntingly Fly Over The Homes Of Marco Rubio And Pete Hegseth, The Pentagon Is Apparently Powerless To Stop It

Published

9 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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U.S. officials detected unidentified drones above the Washington Army base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live, according to three people briefed on the situation.

Let’s not pretend this is normal. You’re being told in the news this morning that drones — some of them possibly drones from foreign-made Shahed-type platforms — are flying over or near sensitive locations tied to high-level government figures like Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth… and that, according to Pete Hegseth, the all-powerful and maximumly lethal Department of War is essentially shrugging its shoulders and unable to do anything about it? We’ve seen this movie before, and we know how it ends.

“Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.” Zechariah 5:1 (KJB)

The same Pentagon that can track a heat signature halfway across the world, the same system that can lock onto a moving target from space, the same military that spends hundreds of billions of dollars annually on air defense, radar, and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) — suddenly can’t identify or stop a handful of slow-moving drones over domestic airspace? That can only mean one thing – get ready for a major false flag event. World War Trump is not going as planned, and people really haven’t done their patriotic duty to forget about the Epstein Files, so cue the ‘Jersey Drones’ and let’s get ourselves a distraction. I know this much, if our government cannot, or will not, stop drones from flying over the homes of important cabinet members like Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, what do you think they’ll do for me and you? You know.

DOC RUCKMAN HAS PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT MYSTERIOUS OBJECTS FLYING OVERHEAD, CLICK TO ORDER!!

Drones over base where Rubio, Hegseth live raise security concerns

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: The military is monitoring potential threats more closely because of the heightened alert level as the United States and Israel strike Iran, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters. Multiple drones were spotted over Fort Lesley J. McNair on a single night in the last 10 days, the official said, prompting increased security measures and a meeting at the White House to discuss how to respond.

The drone sightings in Washington come as the U.S. issued a global security alert for overseas diplomatic posts and locked down several domestic bases because of threats. This week, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida raised their force protection level to Charlie — a designation that means the commander has intelligence indicating an attack or danger is possible. The only higher alert level, Delta, is for when an attack has occurred or is anticipated.

The drones over Fort McNair prompted officials to weigh relocating Rubio and Hegseth, two of the people briefed said. The senior administration official said the secretaries haven’t moved. Their quarters on the base were publicly reported by multiple outlets in October. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to discuss the drones. “The department cannot comment on the secretary’s movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible,” he said. The State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Twice this week officials locked down facilities at MacDill Air Force Base, home to U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations against Iran. The FBI is now investigating a suspicious package that closed the base’s visitors center for hours Monday, and on Wednesday an unspecified security incident left the base under a shelter-in-place order for hours, the base said in a statement.

“To ensure the safety and security of our people and the mission, commanders adjust their installation’s security posture in accordance with local threat assessments,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the State Department ordered all U.S. diplomatic posts worldwide to “immediately” undertake security evaluations, citing “the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spillover effects,” according to a cable reviewed by The Washington Post.

Fort McNair houses the National Defense University and some of the Pentagon’s most senior military officials. The base has not traditionally housed political leaders, but a growing number of Trump officials, including outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, have moved onto area bases, citing security concerns. McNair is conveniently located close to Capitol Hill and the White House. But it does not have the same safety buffer as other bases in the capital region.

Similar drone threats surfaced surrounding President Donald Trump and other top officials in recent years as Iranian leaders sought revenge for the U.S. strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020, according to U.S. officials spanning both the Trump and Biden administrations. READ MORE

Mystery drones spotted over Washington Army base where Rubio, Hegseth live amid Iran war

Amid the escalating Middle East conflict, where Iran is targeting Gulf nations, US officials spotted unidentified drones over a Washington Army base housing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Authorities have not yet determined the drones’ origin.

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

Free Bible Program

Chaplain Huseth At The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Correctional Center In Alabama Has Reached Out To Let Us Know Of Their Need For Bibles

Published

1 day ago

March 18, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Inmates Inside Baldwin County Jail In Alabama Are Actively Asking For King James Bibles As Chaplain Huseth Reaches Out With Urgent Need

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Corrections Center (BCSCC) is a full-service detention facility located in Bay Minette, Alabama. Operated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), it houses adult male and female inmates, including pre-trial detainees, those serving misdemeanor sentences, and federal inmates under contract with the U.S. Marshals Service. In 2025, they underwent a $70 million dollar expansion of their faculties, not a penny of which was allocated to purchasing Bibles. Chaplain Huseth can’t find Bibles for his inmates anywhere, so he turned to us.

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;” Colossians 1:25 (KJB)

While most of the world rushes headlong into darkness, something very different is happening behind the locked doors of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Correctional Center in Alabama. Chaplain Huseth has reached out to Bibles Behind Bars with an urgent request—not for programs, not for counseling, not for religion—but for King James Bibles. They don’t want entertainment. They don’t want rehabilitation theory. They want the word of God.

Inside those cells are men and women who have run out of road. The noise is gone and the distractions have faded away. And for many of them, perhaps for the first time in their lives, they are being forced to think about sin, judgment, and eternity. And when that happens, something incredible begins to take place, they start asking for a Bible. That’s not coincidence. That’s the Holy Spirit of God moving in a place most people will never go.

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We have seen it again and again through Bibles Behind Bars: jailhouses turning into mission fields, hardened criminals sitting quietly reading Scripture, and men who never cared about God suddenly unable to put the Book down. Because when the word of God goes in, everything changes. Right now, Baldwin County is wide open. Right now, souls are ready. Right now, there is a chaplain standing in the gap asking for the one thing that can actually change a man from the inside out. The question isn’t whether the need is real. The question is—will we answer it? We need you, Christian, come help us!

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

If God has prospered you, please take a moment to click on the donate button to help us in this monumental task of providing King James Bibles, New Testaments, scripture portions, gospel tracts as well as Spanish Bibles to inmates in jails and prisons from Florida to Alaska, and every state in between. We need your prayers, we need your generous financial support, and we need you to stand with us in the closing days of the Church Age. Thank you so very much, TO THE FIGHT!!!

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