Algiers Government Palace suicide bombings before justice

Criminal session due to start in next June in Algiers’ courts will open several postponed terror-related case files after they had knew rapid rescheduling in the previous session closed, less than a month ago.They programmed again in this session and will begin by “ Rassam’s partners” case postponed several times as well as the case of the so-called the friend of Al-Qaeda leader Oussama Benladen’s” bodyguard whose name is (S.T). Additionally, an other important concerning to young people recruitment “to fight in Iraq and Chechnya”. Students and university professors from Tiaret province (west of Algiers) who are involved confessed about their recruitment process by a certain “T.M” alias Abu Muthanna. This young man from Tiaret was sentenced to 5 years prison by a court in Algiers for recruiting many Algerians to work for Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

He told security forces he had been behind the recruitment of the suicide bomber Abu Almoukdad Alwahrani who blew himself up near the president Boueflika’s convoy in Batna province (east of Algeria). That was after Abu Almoukdad had shown his intention for Jihad in Iraq. So, Abu Almouthana had trained him in the strongholds of the Salafist Group for preaching and Combat (GSPC) in Batna province (east of Algeria) until he carried out the suicide attack. Names of many Tunisian terrorists who moved to Algeria were stated in this case.

Regarding new cases that will be presented for the first time at Algiers’ criminal court, the main in terms of importance will be the case of German tourists’ abduction in the Algerian Sahara. The suspects who are involved in it work under the command of Abderrezak Saifi alias El Para’s command. They will face serious and heavy charges for belonging to a terrorist group active abroad, trading and importing arms, abduction of foreign tourists and killings dissemination.

Another new case relating to three accused who are allegedly involved in the Government Palace bombings on 11 April. According to ongoing investigations, telephone calls were monitored between the accused immediately after the bombings. They said “open your TV on channel (…) and you will see the Government Palace explosions.”

According to investigations, they were involved in some proceedings concerning terrorist cases and they act under the so-called Samir Sayoud’s banner. He is responsible for contacts at the GSPC. Some sources said he was eliminated by security forces.

For the first time as well, Ali Ben Haj’s son Abdel Kahar will be sentenced in absentia with 8 suspects; most of them are on the run. On the other hand, their recruiter the (K-A) will be tried for a separated case always related to terrorism. His name is also mentioned in the Government Palace bombings case.. The latter would be important in the session as it is expected to handle a case related to providing terrorist groups with explosives used in that attack, which consist in the nitric acid.

The session does not devoid of important cases in which young recruited and repentant terrorists are involved for a total of 16 cases where 70 accused are prosecuted. Most of them had been arrested in addition to cases which were not prevalent before, namely the import, export and international drugs smuggling.