American Pressure

It’s a question of reactivating a program in Algeria that has been used in 150 countries across the world.

The United States of America appears unencumbered by the loud denouncements of Algerian officials — despite the succession of visits by well-known figures from the U.S. Department of State to Algeria — since the establishment of the blacklist placing Algeria among the countries at high risk in terms of security threats.

On Jan. 26, Maj. Gen. Ronald R. Ladnier, the commander for U.S. Air Forces for AFRICOM (United States Africa Command), started a three day visit in Algeria. He was followed a few days later by the U.S. State Department’s deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, Janet Sanderson. And last Thursday, it was the American deputy coordinator for programs and policy in the secretary’s office of the coordinator for counterterrorism, Ms. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, who was received by officers from the National Gendarmerie [France’s military police force] and the DGSN [Morocco’s General Office of National Security], two bodies directly involved in the counterterrorism struggle.

The position held by the American envoy contextualizes the nature of this visit. It directs action on the ground. We don’t speak of politics with police officers and DGSN officers. Gen. Ladnier cleared the ground for the military; Janet Sanderson cleared the way for the political and Ms. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley will do the rest. “We discussed a cooperative counterterrorism program and the best method to implement it. The program in question has been applied in 150 countries across the world, but in Algeria it’s a question of reactivating it, since it had already been put in place and, because of this, I will say that it’s more a question of cooperation and I appreciate Algeria’s expertise,” said the American official without any further details on the name, nature or thrust of the program.

In the press briefing she had organized last Thursday afternoon, she was hardly prolix on the reoccurring question of the blacklist, a subject that she shed some light on: “The list will be reviewed and not revised. I am here to listen to the Algerian government’s security concerns and to reinforce the cooperation between our two countries,” she indicated. She affirmed that her government understood that the control measures have aroused controversy but, “I’d like to clarify that it’s not a question of singling out one country or another, and we regret that terrorism imposes these measures on us.” These are exactly the same sentiments expressed by Janet Sanderson the week before. The novelty is that Ms. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley wasn’t at all frightened by the idea — advanced by Algerian officials — of substantially applying the reciprocal principle to American nationals: “Algeria is a sovereign country. We understand that if, at Algeria’s discretion, it finds them useful, it will implement measures to protect travelers.” In simple terms, she means to say, “If you want to implement reciprocal measures then do it!”

She considers Algeria one of its “best partners” in security matters and the fight against terrorism, indicating that her country “profited from the Algerian experience in the struggle against terrorist threats.” Since the attacks of 9/11, this phrase has become the most conventional formula, the most obsolete, the most sugared, and nevertheless, it fits Algeria like a glove.

In her declaration, she didn’t omit that the security situation in the Sahel worried the United States. Had she discussed the subject with Algerian officials? She responded no. The certainty is that a strictly security-based approach to the Sahel was already being put into place, and writing today that the United States wants to supplant French influence in the region is hardly a media scoop. The last African Union summit at Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and the quality of American officials sent to the summit give information about Uncle Sam’s intentions in the region.

Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Ms. Maria Otero went to this summit, where she led the American delegation. On her agenda were talks with senior government officials from the entire continent. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson took part in this summit. So it is therefore on the blocking of secure regions that the Americans are focusing, and after having detached from Algeria in the Middle East, they will reattach themselves to the Sahel. What other programs can the Yankees concoct for an encore?

*Editor’s Note: Quotes by Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley could not be verified.