Why Algeria Didn’t Warn the U.S. About Its Hostage Raid -- Eli Lake, Daily Beast
A messy hostage raid put Americans lives at risk—and Obama didn’t even get a heads up. Eli Lake on the years of mistrust (and spurned cash) between the two nations.
When Algerian commandos initiated a raid Thursday to free hostages being held at a remote natural-gas complex, it was apparently a surprise to the top levels of the Obama administration as well as America’s key international allies. American workers were believed to be at the sprawling facility, and while details remain sketchy, U.S. officials said Friday that at least one American was killed.
That Algeria didn’t inform the U.S.—much less collaborate with it—before launching the raid should come as no surprise. Since 9/11, both the Bush and Obama administrations have tried to cultivate a relationship with Algeria’s military, intelligence, and security ministries. There have been occasional successes. Algerian officers have trained with the U.S. military; U.S. intelligence agencies shared overhead imagery of Algeria’s vast border; and the two sides at times cooperated against a common enemy, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the group’s North African affiliate.
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My Comment: Algeria is a fiercely independent state that has a long and bloody history of revolution, violence, and Islamic extremism .... but also a government that has been very good at crushing these opponents. What can the American's offer that is just as effective?
On a side note .... kudos to Robert Fisk for accurately calling the end game for this crisis .... no negotiation, no deal, just death.