The rivalry in action

“These are just unimportant shenanigans, caused by Algeria.” 
General Ould Abdel Aziz, quoted “L’Algérie est derrière les pressions sur la Mauritanie, selon O. Abdel Aziz,” Taqadoumy, 27 September, 2008.

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Fast on Mauritania

This is rather important. If the government runs out of money, a possibility that people in Nouakchott are taking very seriously, things could really hit the fan. Already the US has frozen Millennium Challenge funding, quite a bit of money for a country so poor as Mauritania. The junta needs money. At least some people are sending [...]

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Fearsome Lawiza and the Comb-over that won’t quit

The Constitutional revision allowing for Bouteflika’s third term will be rammed through within the next two months, according to Abdelaziz Belkhadem, his personal representative. Though members of parliament had said that the amendment would be impossible by the end of the year just months ago, it seems that law makers can accomplish anything when the [...]

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In praise of Hitti

When young, Ibrahim, a descendant of a noble Persian family, was kidnapped outside al-Mawsil and during his detention learned some of the brigands’ songs. He was the first to beat the rhythm with a wand and could detect one girl among thirty lute-players and ask her to tighten the second string of her ill-tuned instrument. [...]

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1920 or 2008?

“When you have an immigration policy that allows for the importation of millions of radical Muslims, you are also importing their radical ideology – an ideology that is fundamentally hostile to the foundations of western democracy – such as gender equality, pluralism, and individual liberty,” said Tancredo. “The best way to safeguard America against the [...]

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The interrogation of a Salafi `alim

In their interrogation transcripts, Sidi Ould Sidina and Mohamed Ould Sidi Ould Chabarnou speak of Mohamed Salem Ould Mohamed Lamine al-Majlissi as the ideological guide of the Mauritanian AQIM. Al-Majlissi spent his time around the mosques of Nouakchott “teaching” and spreading the Salafi message. He recruited Ould Sidina and Chabarnou into the ranks of AQIM, [...]

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Not going much of anywhere

Quickly, here is what I know to be the situation in Mauritania as of the weekend.

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AQIM-Mauritania: Quite Saharan, in fact

Thanks to a well placed Mauritanian friend, I have been able to look over the interrogation transcripts of Sidi Ould Sidina, Mohamed Ould Chabarnou (along with several other AQIM operatives in state custody during January 2008, before Ould Sidina’s escape; both are presently in prison, and Aziz, Ghazouani, and Ould Adde take credit for their [...]

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Busy, busy

I apologize for posting so scantily this last week. Postings on Bouteflika (and his third term), Mauritania, and some pipeline/global context bits will be posted hopefully over the course of the next week (and probably not in that particular order).

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Icy hot?

Our first and fundamental task is to turn the Arctic into a resource base for Russia in the 21st century. Using these resources will entirely guarantee Russia’s energy security. [...] We must finalize and draft a law on setting the southern border of the Arctic region…. This is our responsibility to future generations.”
Dmitry Medvedev, quoted [...]

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Bouteflika: High Value Target

El Khabar is reporting that Algerian police foiled a plot to launch a suicide bombing on the Presidential Palace in the El-Mouradia, a suburb of Algiers, today. El-Mouradia is home both the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Led by a 60-year old man known locally as `Ammi `Abdallah (Uncle Abdallah), the attack [...]

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:)

Triumph closing in.

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Why not a genuinely ‘Atlantic’ Atlantic community?

But shouldn’t there be a much greater focus and effort on the part of the U.S. and its European partners to working more closely with North and West Africa?
‘Preferring “Eurasia” Georgia to “Atlantic” Africa?‘ Nikolas Gvosdev, The New Atlanticist. 12 September, 2008.
I believe that there should be. Gvosdev lays out a strong case for the [...]

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A Mauritanian Routine: strike, frustrate and repeat

Western Sahara Info. has a terrific post up on the AQIM attack in Mauritania. The attack killed 12 east of Zouerat, in an ambush on a 16 car caravan. The unit’s commander was among the dead. Although AQIM is believed to be rather sickly (but not pusillanimous), it seems that it is most successful in [...]

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Pick one of three

If one had to recommend a Berber language to teach to manly native-English, Arabic and French speakers, which would be the best choice? It would be an informal class setting, taught by university students. The available teachers speak Tashelhiyt, Kabyle, and Chaouia. Keeping in mind that Kabyle and Tashelhiyt  have the largest populations and [relatively] [...]

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Where else?

Sober analysis of AQIM’s attack and projection capacities at The Economist.

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All the way through French North Africa

Over the weekend I visited the JFK Presidential Library, over on the other side of Boston. Aside from its eight dollar cost, it was a positive experience. Friends who served in the Algerian bureaucracy during the early 60’s, have told me that they considered the coolness in US-Algerian relations during the Cold War to be [...]

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Aye Lawiza!

Yesterday I read in El Khabar that the Workers’ Party dissolved its Guelma branch. I was shocked. Today I am reading that this never took place. What?

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Rice in Algeria

Algerian media coverage of Rice’s visit was extensive. A number of newspapers said the length of the US secretary’s visit was a show of recognition of Algeria’s weight in the region. An editorial in La Tribune described the relationship between Algiers and Washington as a “strategic axis” and categorised the visit as an “enhancer of [...]

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A guessing game: Ouyahia

When Ahmed Ouyahia was appointed Prime Minister of Algeria for the third time earlier this summer, it was an important signal for the direction of the country in the next year. He has been especially close to the president since at least 1999, having helped the president domestically in Kabylia, and internationally in Eritrea and [...]

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