Why Did Algeria Keep The U.S. In The Dark About It's Hostage Raid

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.

Has Algeria Spoiled U.S. Counter-Terrorism Strategy In North Africa?

Algerian Stance Spoils U.S. Strategy For Region -- Washington post

LONDON — The hostage crisis in Algeria has upended the Obama administration’s strategy for coordinating an international military campaign against al-Qaeda fighters in North Africa, leaving U.S., European and African leaders even more at odds over how to tackle the problem.

For months, U.S. officials have intensively lobbied Algeria — whose military is by far the strongest in North Africa — to help intervene in next-door Mali, where jihadists and other rebels have established a well-defended base of operations. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other high-ranking U.S. officials made repeated visits to Algiers in the fall in a bid to persuade the oil-rich country to contribute troops to a U.N.-backed military force in Mali.

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My Comment: The Algerians are acting in their own self interests .... and they are making it clear that what is important to the U.S. is not important to them. But this week's attack on an important Algerian gas plant by Al Qaeda linked militants is probably giving the Algerians some pause .... and I would not be surprised if they are right now re-evaluating their strategy.

Update: Terror Threat Prompts U.S. Rethink on Africa -- Wall Street Journal