I am for Saadani’s positions, says Ould Abbas

Senior member of Algeria’s National Liberation Front (FLN) and former health minister Djamel Ould Abbas said he supports Saadani’s remarks accusing the Algeian intelligence leader General Mohamed Mediene. “I am a disciplined leading member in my party. I support the positions of its Secretary General Amar Saadani,” he told Echorouk on the phone.

This comes as Saadani told a news website in an interview that General Mediene should resign as he failed in his mission.

Asked about Saadani’s remarks, Ould Abbas said he shares his positions and opinions.

The remarks raised a controversy among politicians and were seen by some of them as a danger to the State’s stability and institutions.

In an interview to the TSA website, Saadani criticized the internal security department for failing in managing many security issues. “Instead of handling the protection mission, it kept watch on political parties, press and justice. It could not protect assassinated President Boudiaf and Secretary General of the Algerian Workers’ General Union Abdelhak Ben Hamouda. It also failed in protecting the Tiberhrine seven monks who were killed in the province of Medea. It could not protect the Government’s Palace and the UN agency headoffice in Algiers which were targeted by suicide bombers, a few years ago. It did not protect oil facilities in the south and was unable to protect President Bouteflika from an assassination attempt in the province of Batna,” he said.