Former intelligence officer: Terrorist attack on oil facility is a warning to Algeria

The former top Algerian intelligence officer Chafik Mesbah has in long interview to Echouoruk warned against the negative repercussions on the Algeria stability in the wake of the decision to open its airspace to the French warplanes heading for Mali to dislodge the terrorist groups in the Northern regions of this country.

He has indicated that the attack carried out by and armed group on BP facility in the region of Ain Amenas , far south Algeria, leading to the seizure of unidentified number of foreign workers was not a warning to the Western powers only, but to Algeria also.

Replying to a question concerning the attack, the security expert has noted that this terrorist act shows signs of instability in the country and means that terrorist groups infiltrated the Algerian desert.

He wondered how these groups have easily targeted such strategic facilities without meeting resistance from the Algerian security forces.

Chafik Mesbah has noted that the French authorities will not succeed to eliminate the terrorist groups operating in northern Mali on account of the sociological and geographical specificities of the region.

He has indicated that the most appropriate strategy to solve crisis is to associate the local inhabitants and rely on intelligence which is not the priority of the French authorities for the time being.

Mesbah went on saying that Algeria is no longer in a position to impose its will as a leader in the region that’s why it was forced to yield to the western countries concerning the military intervention in Mali, but some believe that the move will play in favour of the president Bouteflika to run for a fourth mandate