Messahel: “Fight Against Terrorism Must Not Be Subject To Double Standards Internationally”

Algeria and Washington exchanged, on Wednesday, the messages during the opening of the international workshop on the role of democracy in the fight against terrorism and extremism, which was attended by Assistant Secretary of State of the US Democracy and Human Rights, Tom Malinowski, who asserted the need to respect the human rights and democracy in the fight against terrorism, while Messahel replied that the fight against terrorism must not be subject to the logic of double standards at the international level.

U.S official said in a speech during the opening of the workshop, on Wednesday, at the Palais des Nations in Algiers that the fight against terrorism must respect the values ​​of democracy, human rights and should not undermine the relationship between the government and civil society.

“Fight against terrorism must move away from torture and abuse.”

Representative of the White House added, in his speech that preceded the Minister Abdelkader Messahel’s intervention; “The main lesson of the United States is that the face of extremism and terrorism must be under the trust between the government and civil groups. This seminar should focus on the dignity of citizens during the fight against terrorism and torture or abuse should not be used on order to avoid disturbing the trust between the government and civil society”.

Concerning the Algerian experience, Washington’s envoy said: “Algeria has already encountered the phenomenon of terrorism alone, and we benefited from the experience. America is looking to tap more of the Algerian experience through this seminar”.

Minister, Abdelkader Messahel responded quickly, and said in a speech that the fight against terrorism must not be subject at the international level to the logic of double standards.

“Democracy plays a key role in the fight against terrorism internally, but this fight, should not be subject to the logic of double standards at the international level, and also in intervention policies that cause general chaos and instability, which is in favour of terrorist groups”.

Messahel defended Algeria’s options that passed the tragedy during the nineties and was able to overcome it because of the conviction that the democratic option is the most effective answer to the terrorist attack, adding: “President Bouteflika said in 1999 that he belongs to the school of democracy, and this conviction was realised after the political, social and economic procedures and measures that were taken to overcome the tragedy”.

“Terrorism has no religion, no homeland and no border, which needs to make joint efforts to address it”.

Representative of the African Union, Isaka Gamba Abdo, said this seminar is the embodiment of Algeria’s commitment in the fight against terrorism, adding that it is a clear and with no doubt, and over the years, Algeria has become an indispensable partner in the fight against terrorism, calling upon the countries to follow the example of the Algerian experience at the international level.

Ambassadors of several countries in Algeria like the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, and experts from Turkey, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Japan, Indonesia, and from the Arab world, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, attended the seminar in Algiers.