Algeria will not accept ransom for release of abducted Austrian tourists

The Algerian authorities asked the Austrian ones to provide them with the content of the negotiations started with the terrorist group who abducted the Austrian tourists.

The first inquiries concluded to the existence of other conditions included in written and verbal correspondences exchanged between the kidnappers and other parts apart from the Austrian side.

First elements of the inquiry reveal that the terrorist have contacted the Austrian embassy to Algiers , first then get in touch with Vienna , Austria , afterwards. But for the Algerian authorities” these contacts were between a UN member state and a terrorist organization, which implies that Austria has to comply with the  UN resolutions in the fight against terrorism and show its commitment to fully cooperate with the Algerian authorities, either the tourists were abducted inside or outside the national territory.

First evidences show that the media uproar prompted by the terrorists’ message send to the Austrian authorities in which they were bargaining the release of the tourists against that of detained top Al Qaeda leaders, was a diversion used by the terrorists to ask for a ransom. This theory has been confirmed by the Austrian side 24 hours following the posted message.

The Algerian authorities launched an unequivocal message to whom it concerns that “It will not accept any kind of ransom in exchange of the release of the tourists, because this money will be used in the killing of other innocent civilians”. Algerian authorities still have in mind a similar case occurred in 2003, when a ransom of a value of 5 million euros was paid to release German tourists abducted in the Algerian desert.

The collected money was used to equip the terrorist organization the Salafit Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). Some sources revealed that the money supplier was the head of the charity association in the person of the Libyan leader’s son, Seif Eddine Al Qadhafi.

Sources do not exclude the involvement of the former Sahara region GSPC’s leader “Al Para” as a deal broker in the release of the Austrian tourists, and that his name was on top of the list to be released in counterpart.

But these sources insisted on the fact that “the role of “Al Para” was to convince the kidnappers, who operated for long years under his command, to release the tourists without prior conditions”. Being incarcerated since four years, Abderrezak Al Para, has “reconsidered his ideas and positions “ and has in many occasions collaborated with the Algerian security services to decipher some of the former Al Qaeda’s riddles as well as the present ones; and “ openly condemned last year’s suicide attacks”.

According to sources, the operation may last “several weeks or months” so as to reach the biggest media uproar possible and pressure the concerned countries. The terrorists, who are used to this tactic are said to have evacuated the tourists in remote common desert borders between Algeria , Tunisia and Libya .