Nezzar: “Yes, we drafted resignation letter of Chadli Bendjedid… Betchine tortured demonstrators”

Former ANP Chief of staff, retired Army General, Khaled Nezzar has confirmed his recent statements made to “Echorouk” through a brand-new interview granted to the French-speaking newspaper “Algérie Patriotique” during which he shed light on several sensitive issues which marked the national scene during the somber decade of the nineties.

The head of the Presidency Office, Ahmed Ouyahia, has just declared that to say that the resignation letter was not written by the late Chadli Bendjedid himself means he was the victim of a coup…

“I have always repeated that we prepared the letter for President Chadli Bendjedid who had decided to quit. What harm was there if we drafted the letter? It has always been done the same way for all other documents. Ahmed Ouyahia should be clear on this subject; he should specify and target the persons involved. The interpretation is not mine, but for all those who find a vested interest. I ask myself the question as to which side now belongs Ahmed Ouyahia, who has always been clear on this subject”.

President Bouteflika decided to restructure the DRS intelligence services. What comment do you make about that decision?

“President Abdellaziz Bouteflika has undertaken a restructuring of the intelligence services and I find this restructuring, which I’ve always called for, wise and salutary. The President has taken a decision of importance for national security. I am convinced that the concern for our national security and all parameters pursuant with it will be duly taken care of in future, by the President of the Republic. This is the price that we have to pay to cross safely this landmark period in our contemporary history”.

In your view, what was the role of Betchine in these unfortunate events of the early nineties notably after the abrupt cancellation of the second round of 1991 legislative elections?

“I say and I repeat: if human rights abuses took place in Sidi Fredj barracks during the early nineties, the former intelligence services chief Betchine was utterly responsible for the tortures inflicted then on the arrested demonstrators. Furthermore, from where those unmarked cars came from which were circulating at high speed in some neighborhoods of the capital and from which were fired gunshots at the protesters”?