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                            A Special International Report Prepared by
                           The Washington Times Advertising Department - Published on July 2, 1999
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(1) Sonatrach, An International Petroleum Group

(2)Council of Privitisation

(3)Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development

(4)CNEP

(5)Group Touring Club of Algeria

(6)Groupe Enad

(7)Wines from Algeria

(8)Blanky Industry Company

(9)EFG - Hermes

(10)DHL Worldwide Express

(11)Enterprise De Travaux Publics Batiments & Hydraulique

(12)Office National des Aliments du Betail (ONAB)

(13)Hotel El Djazaïr

(14)Halliburton Company

(15)Algeria National Enterprise for Tourism

(16)Investment Promotion, Support and Monitoring Agency, APSI

(17)Hôtel El-Aurassi

(18)Saïdal Group

(19)Mechanical Public Holding

(20)ENCG

(21)Sonatrach, Partnership the strategic choice

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A Special International Report Prepared by The Washington Times
Advertising Department

Written by:
Rod Craig

Propject Director:
Hala Nasreddine

Photography by:
Rod Craig

For more information, call
The Washington Times International Advertising Department
at (202) 636-3035
(202) 635-0103 fax
e-mail: natlad@wt.infi.net

Terrorism is costly - in lives and finances

Terrorism has had a price. The human price could be anything between 50,000 and 120,000 lives - although some people suggest that it could be twice as much, not to mention the thousands of people who have been injured. One of the popular questions in Algeria is always "who is killing who". Stories about massacres in remote hamlets, about mass murders that took place near Army barracks without intervention of soldiers to rescue the victims for several hours, have led to speculation as to the origin of certain killers.

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There have been reports of terrorists machine-gunning passers by from cars which are said to have government number plates. There also have been allegations that soldiers had taken part in massacres

Algeria is a country where rumors spread like wildfire, and it will certainly be many years before the real truth finally comes out about the origin of many acts.

Some Algeria watchers dismiss stories that the army or militia members may have been responsible for many of the massacres. That local people have asked for help during massacres and have waited vainly for up to five hours is attributed to inefficiency or just laziness on the part of servicemen and police.

Algeria has a multilayered problem.

Some residents will tell you that no one really knows who the enemy is - that it might be a neighbor or a colleague, that the danger can come from anywhere.

"It is an enemy without a face; We just did not know who was doing it. All I know is that we dared not go out in the evenings," said an Algiers resident.

"There are towns in Algeria which have more night life but here in the capital some people are still afraid to go out late and so there is little that stays open. But it is gradually getting better. There was a time when people were afraid of traveling anywhere."

According to "official figures" the number of deaths due to terrorism has been falling steadily over the past two years. In the last six months of 1997 slightly more than 6,000 were killed, in the first six months of 1998 the figure had fallen to about 5,300 and during the last six months, the figure dramatically fell to some 2,400. Until a year ago about 90 percent of the people killed were civilians. Now the vast majority of the victims are in the armed forces, which accounts for this decrease. Ironically the first murder was of a policeman and so the wheel is finally returning.

It is believed that there are only between 3,000 and 6,000 terrorists still at large in Algeria- and most of them are hiding out in a few limited rural and mountainous areas. Every day stories in the local press talk about terrorists whose priority now seems to be stealing food. Some of them are said to be starving in their hideouts.

One of the few activities still carried on are roadblocks, when terrorists stop passing cars and take whatever they can from the passengers.

Terrorism also has a financial cost - mostly to public bodies. There were 1,536 acts of sabotage against transformers and hydraulic infrastructures, 110 attacks on the railways, 690 on public services, 914 on education establishments, 851 against telecommunications installations - giving in all a cost of 2.3 billions of dollars.

But this terrorism came to a country that was not prepared - Algeria has to learn how to protect itself against terrorists.

Certain villagers have been allowed to carry arms to protect their community and, as strange as it may seem, they have often had to count on themselves and not the police or security forces.
Signs are encouraging that bad times are coming to an end, there are still occasional collective murders: 14 members of a family here, 19 there. But most of them seem now to fall in the category of revenge killings - revenge on people who have betrayed a cause or given information. Sometimes they are just settling a long-standing feud.

And the styles of killing, usually by cutting throats, have not changed. Attractive women and girls are often carried off for the terrorists' amusement, only to be found murdered at a later date.

Main buildings are guarded by black-uniformed policemen, and are equipped with metal detectors and close circuit television systems. The different styles of certain ministers are interesting. Some of them make real fortresses of their offices with electrically controlled locks and several TV screens on their desks. Others seem to be less concerned. They all have bodyguards.

One minister told us how he and a fellow high-ranking government office had managed to get away from their bodyguards by stealing out of the office, to go and eat as normal people in a local restaurant.

All went well until they were recognized by the other clients and their "peaceful" meal attracted a crowd.

Bodyguards are given to all government members and visiting personalities - including journalists.

Many complain that carrying out their task of reporting is difficult and that ordinary people are wary of talking frankly to them.

Protection teams consist of three armed plainclothes policemen, two of whom follow in another vehicle. Among encouraging signs is the return of the monks to the Trappist monastery at Tibhirine where, in May 1996 seven popular monks were kidnapped and later murdered.

Also encouraging is that seven Arab Countries have ratified the convention on fighting terrorism. Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Egypt and details of their projected action are to be decided at future meetings.

Table of Contents

(1) His Excellency Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria

(2) Country has resources and potential and is moving toward peace

(3) History

(4) Stability predictable for Algeria

(5) Terrorism is costly - in lives and finances

(6) Political Parties

(7) Despite being free, press sometimes is silenced

(8) Local bidders and foreign investors being courted

(9) Despite previous problems, economic future is bright

(10) Institutions

(11) Director-General sees light as country comes out of tunnel

(12) Housing shortage creates enormous market for homebuilders

(13) Bureaucracy remains a major barrier to investment