US report: Algeria has will to disrupt terrorism

Algeria remains a key U.S. counterterrorism partner as Algerian security forces arrested 545 individuals on terrorist charges and 220 terrorists were killed in 2013, according to the US State Department said.

“The Government of Algeria maintains – and advocates that others also maintain – a strict ‘no concessions’ policy with regard to individuals or groups holding its citizens hostage. Algeria played a leadership role in the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s (GCTF’s) efforts to raise awareness among governments to prevent the payment of ransoms to terrorist organizations,” said a report released by the Department.

“The Government of Algeria has demonstrated that it has the will and capability to investigate and to disrupt terrorist and criminal activity. Since 2010, the Algerian government has increased the number of police officers from 166,348 to 200,000, and has worked to professionalize and modernize its police force,” it added.

It also said the U.S. Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program and the Algerian Gendarmerie Nationale focused on targeted capacity-building consultations and training in forensics, criminal investigation, and border security in 2013.