Algeria's military, which in practice rules the country, is working to blight the "Arab spring" and curb the growth of democracy in the Maghreb. This includes substantial help to Col Muammar Qaddafi in neighbouring Libya.
Algeria's opposition Socialist Forces Front recently accused the regime of operations meant to destabilise the transitional democratic government in Tunisia, and also of undermining the Libyan resistance.
The United States "is working to ascertain the veracity of these claims [about Libya] which have only just come to light", a US State Department official told Reuters on Friday. "If true, this would likely constitute a violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973."
In fact, however, there is already plenty of evidence to substantiate the claim of Algeria's involvement in defending Col Qaddafi's regime.
In the last two weeks, Algeria has denied accusations that a Libyan ship offloaded armaments destined for Col Qaddafi's troops at the Algerian port of Djen Djen, 267 kilometres east of Algiers.
But Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) said the ship, sailing under a Libyan flag, arrived at Djen Djen on July 19 and then the shipment was conveyed across the border into Libya.
Algeria's support for Col Qaddafi has been thorough and systematic since the Libyan troubles began.
Diplomats from Algiers have worked at the UN, the EU and the Arab League to preclude or limit the internationalisation of the Libyan crisis. Algeria and Syria are the only two Arab countries that opposed the UN's imposition of a no-fly zone over parts of Libya.
The Algerian authorities contend that the Libyan rebels have close links with Al Qaeda in the Maghreb, and Algeria has neither recognised the NTC nor asked Col Qaddafi to step down. Instead, the Algerian government has endorsed an African Union peace plan that would leave Col Qaddafi and his sons in power.
It should be noted that Abdulhafidh Ghoga, the vice president of Libya's NTC, has denounced the duplicity of the Algerian regime, which he has accused of backing Col Qaddafi militarily and politically.
The NTC asserted that Chad, Mali, Niger and Kenya were all sending armed forces to support Col Qaddafi and that "there is evidence that the government of Algeria is taking part in this".
And the Algerian opposition in exile in Europe has alleged that there are Algerian armed forces in Libya. Shamsuddin Abdulmollah, an NTC spokesman, reported that 15 Algerian mercenaries had been captured in western Libya.
There is further corroboration that Algeria has sent proxy forces to help Col Qaddafi. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican in the US Congress, has exhorted colleagues to give "serious attention" to evidence that combatants from the Algerian-backed Western Saharan Polisario Front are among the forces fighting for the Libyan regime.
Edward Gabriel, a former US ambassador to Morocco, has said that "hundreds of Polisario mercenaries are being paid $10,000 (Dh36,700) each by Qaddafi" to fight in Libya.
In April the French foreign minister, Alain Juppé, challenged the Algerian regime about its connection to an arsenal that Col Qaddafi's troops had left on the battlefield, which was discovered by French military advisers to Libya's rebels.
At times Algerian involvement in Libya has been explicit. When the Algerian parliamentarian Saddek Bouguettaya attended a meeting in Tripoli of Libyan tribes supporting Col Qaddafi on May 8, he described Col Qaddafi's efforts to remain in power as "valiant and praiseworthy" and condemned Nato for its "bombing of the civilian population".
Mr Bouguettaya is a member of the central committee of Algeria's ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) and a loyalist of Abdelaziz Belkhadem, the FLN's secretary general and the personal representative of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
It should be noted that Mr Belkhadem called the Libyan rebels "agents of foreign powers who receive orders from the West". In addition, Daho Ould Kablia, Algeria's interior minister, affirmed on a recent talk show that "future relations with Libya would be strained in case the rebels take over power in Tripoli".
These declarations all indicate that Mr Bouguettaya was not voicing his own opinion, but was articulating the regime's open support for Col Qaddafi.
These reckless declarations by high-ranking Algerian officials have agitated Washington. Many US congressmen cannot fathom why Algeria would support Col Qaddafi while Nato has made its intentions to topple the Libyan dictator so clear.
What many observers fail to take into account is that the Algerian government fears an uprising similar to those in Tunisia and Egypt, or what is taking place in Syria and Yemen.
Those in power in Algiers remember the October 1988 riots that threatened the military-backed regime, which has mismanaged the country since independence in 1962.
Col Qaddafi still clings to power despite Nato air strikes, hundreds of casualties, frozen assets and a five-month arms embargo. Rebels now advance toward Tripoli. Perhaps Col Qaddafi's best exit strategy would be through Algiers.
Dr Abdelkader Cheref is an Algerian assistant professor of comparative literature and cultural studies at the University of Connecticut
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Honeymoonish
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances