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Hassan Hattab	Hassan Hattab	Salafist Group for Preaching and Fighting	Africa North				20020215
	Hassan Hattab	Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat	Africa North				20031222
	Hassan Hattab	Salafist Group for Call and Combat	Africa: North				20040310

Africa North

Abu Zakaria: "Those who speak on our behalf must take responsibility"

2011-06-02

[Ennahar] The official front man of the group whose initiative was launched last year by the founder of the Salafist ...Salafists espouse an austere form of Sunni Islam that seeks a return to practices that were common in the 7th century. Rather than doing that themselves and letting other people alone they insist everybody do as they say and they try to kill everybody who doesn't... Group for Preaching and Combat, Hassan Hattab, Abu Zakaria, who was a member of the Council of Elders and President of the Medical Committee of the GSPC, wants to put an end to the controversy between some parties regarding a future release of Islamist prisoners involved in terrorism cases. The latter denied everything that was announced by "those who claim to speak on his behalf or on behalf of Hassan Hattab" and added they have made no statement until now. In a statement yesterday to Ennahar, Abu Zakaria said that this is the first statement he makes to the press, and that as the official spokesperson on behalf of the initiative, he ignored all about the statements to the press, either those relating to the release of Islamist prisoners who are in prison for terrorist activities or those relating to the initiative addressed to the President of the Republic asking him to promote national reconciliation into a general amnesty. The initiative made by the former Emir of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat ... now known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb... (GSPC), Hassan Hattab, alias "Abu Hamza" Abu Zakaria, who has benefited from the provisions of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, expressed his surprise at the controversy raised by this information, and avoid accusing any party whatsoever. "I did not speak to anyone neither did Hattab, and everyone must take responsibility for his words. We made no statement" he said before adding: "Any time we have things to say, we do it officially. We are in contact with high authorities and we have not heard of such initiative" he concluded.

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Africa North

Former leader of the GSPC, Hassan Hattab, placed in a safe place

2011-03-10

[Ennahar] The former leader of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat ... now known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb... (GSPC), now AQIM, Hassan Hattab was placed in a "safe place" while the former number two of the organization Abderezzak El Para, has been imprisoned, said the Algerian Minister of Justice Tayeb Belaiz. "We started to implement presidential decrees (waiving the state of emergency.) Hassan Hattab was placed in a safe place while Abderezzak El Para was placed in jug Monday" after being heard by a judge, said Belaiz, whose remarks were reported Tuesday night by the news agency APS. Hassan Hattab, who surrendered to authorities in late September 2007, had been excluded from the GSPC, who joined in September 2006 the terrorist network Al Qaeda of Osama bin Laden and renamed itself Al Qaeda in the Maghreb Islamic (AQIM). He had opposed the rally and went to benefit from the Charter for National Reconciliation in February 2006, offering forgiveness to the Islamists against their surrender, according to the press. Abderrezak El Para, his real name Amari Saifi, is the author of the kidnapping of 32 European tourists in 2003 in the Algerian Sahara. He was delivered in 2004 to Algerian security services by Chadian rebels who had captured him, after Libyan mediation. He has been waiting his trial, which was postponed several times due to the absence of the accused. So far, the two men were "placed in administrative detention - that locks a person without trial, by the Ministry of the Interior as part of a state of emergency," told AFP Counsel Me Mokrane Ait Larbi.

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Africa North

El Para in Serkadji

2011-03-08

[Ennahar] The public prosecutor at the court of Sidi M'hamed in Algiers, ordered yesterday the detention of Amari Saifi, alias " Abderrezak El Para" after his hearing in the matter of membership in terrorist groups activating in inside and outside the country. The former leader of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat ... now known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb... (GSPC) was taken yesterday under heavy escort to his hearing. According to information received by Ennahar, the decision to question the accused in cases of terrorism takes place within the lifting of emergency rule. The accused under house arrest fixed by the Interior Ministry under the state of emergency will now be heard. Are concerned those accused of terrorism who have not surrendered but have been nabbed. According to the sources, the decision to audition El Para was due to the fact that he represented a great danger to national security. He should be tried because he had not surrendered to security services, but was hiding and had been delivered by the Libyan authorities after an arrest warrant issued by the Algerian justice and security. El Para is best known for the case of the kidnapping of German tourists when his lover companions were sentenced to life imprisonment and others to 20 years in prison. The case of the companions of El Para had been repeatedly postponed at the request of the defence, for the presence of El Para in person, as the unique witness in the case who could confirm or disprove the allegations to the accused. At trial, the four defendants in the case of the kidnapping have demanded the presence of Amari Saifi, whose name was on the list of the accused, before the public prosecutor waived him for reasons they think beyond their control. El Para was therefore not heard at the hearing and he was not imprisoned, so that the trial took place without his testimony. Four defendants were prosecuted for the kidnapping of German tourists in southern Algeria, arms trafficking with the aim of supporting the group of Hassan Hattab in the north, before El Para and many of his men are nabbed by the Chadian opposition following armed festivities between them which resulted in serious injuries. Two other defendants have decamped from Tazoult prison in Batna in 1994 together with 1,200 prisoners who have all joined the bush and strengthened the ranks of the armed Islamist groups at the time, before joining the Salafist Group for Preaching and battle in 1998, then led by Hassan Hattab and their journey into the Sahara with Amari Saifi in search of weapons. Who is El Para? Amari Saifi, alias Abderrezak El Para, was born in 1968 in the province of Guelma, of a French mother. He joined the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) after being dismissed from the ranks of the national popular army where he was part of the paratroopers' Special Forces. He joined the GIA in 1993 before deciding, with Hassan Hattab, who was chief of the second zone of the GIA in 1996 to dissenting the group led by Zitouni because of the latter's deviation from the ideology. He is considered one of the founders of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat in June 1999. Abdelmadjid Dichou designated national emir has directed "El Para" to lead in the fifth zone to the east. He was replaced by Hassan Hattab two months after his death during a meeting in the province of Batna and El Para was appointed his deputy. He participated in drafting the charter of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. El Para was accused in several cases including the kidnapping of 34 foreign tourists in southern Algeria, later released after paying a ransom.

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Africa North

Sheikh Sahnoun:detained terrorists demand freedom in exchange for their signing of a charter of honor

2011-02-11

[Ennahar] I advise the authorities of the country to present concrete solutions to the gangs to encourage them to return to normal life. I am innocent of any harm caused to the lives of Algerians. It was with these words that addressed us Sheikh Hachemi Sahnoun, a leader of the Islamist movement and a former activist of the Islamic Front of salvation (FIS) dissolved during his visit to the headquarters of Ennahar. Sheikh Sahnoun clarified that he had expressed this view twenty years ago and that it is what he always thinks; the lives of Algerians are sacred, they are Mohammedans and he who undermines the Mohammedans undermines Islam. Sheikh Sahnoun appealed to the authorities to take real action to rectify the backlog and push residues of gangs to join civilian life, blaming the bureaucracy of hindering the process of casework. The authorities of the country, he said, must take the step and give and present concrete solutions to the armed elements. "If we wanted to deal with the security issue, it should be a comprehensive work and not partial," he added. The delay in the execution of judgments by certain parties is, according to him, the real obstacle to the achievement of reconciliation. The issue of compensation must also be addressed, victims of the black decade, he said, did not receive compensation and are swinging between the administration and security services, their records are not yet regulated, as for instance, Abdelbari, a leader of the Salafist Group (GSPC), who surrendered at the same period than Hassan Hattab, the GSPC National leader. And this is just a drop in the ocean of obstacles, according to the sheikh who considers necessary the removal of constraints and resolving their situations. The current leader of the Salafist group says he can not call the forces of Evil to surrender if the state does not present concrete proposals that would ensure their lives and ensure their return to civilian life. The imprisoned forces of Evil demand the release in exchange for their signing of a charter of honor. Sheikh Sahnoun said that prisoners sentenced to death or to life imprisonment in cases of terrorism are convinced of the charter for peace and national reconciliation. They wish to rejoin civilian life and asked him to bring their voices to officials asking them to release them, in return, they would sign a charter of honor, never to return to armed activities.

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Africa North

Algeria Salafist contradicts al-Zawahiri

2010-10-13

[Magharebia] Just as Sheikh Ferkous took a stand opposing violence against Mohammedan leaders, al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri called for the downfall of Pakistain's government. Good that they're having this discussion so openly. Even if it is because the smart jihadis have realized that they're losing the hard jihad of the sword, and it's time to switch to the soft jihad of the law. In the same mid-September week, a leading Algerian Salafist issued a fatwa banning armed opposition to the government and al-Qaeda's second-in-command released an audio tape endorsing political violence. "From a doctrinal point of view, the present jihadist groups cannot be in jihad except under the command of their rulers and fighting under their banner," declared Salafist theologian Sheikh Mohamed Ali Ferkous, alias Abou Abdelmouaâz Mohamed, in the September fatwa. That's what they think they're doing, Sheikh Ferkous. "Any opposition must occur in a peaceful context and must be marked by the need not to fall into violence in any form: riots, demonstrations, sit-ins, and even insults," Ferkous added. Sheikh Ferkous, who used to officiate as a holy man in the district of Kouba in Algiers, is greatly demanded by the Islamists and his views are well respected. His latest fatwa against al-Qaeda's version of jihad follows a request from GSPC founder Hassan Hattab and other former jihadists for Islamic scholars to clarify their positions on terrorism. Al-Zawahiri, meanwhile, prodded Pak youth to pursue jihad and violence. The near-simultaneous statements differ in more than the message; Ayman al-Zawahiri's new message is failing to gain any traction in the Maghreb. "The Mohammedan world is tired of al-Zawahiri tapes that call to overthrow governments and therefore, these tapes no longer have any value neither in the Islamic world nor in any other," Brahim Ould Mohamed, a Mauritanian media specialist in Islamic groups told Magharebia. Many people were particularly opposed to al-Qaeda's message calling for the violent removal of the Pak government. "The invitations issued from the caves cannot bring down governments; even if they are weaker than a spider's web," said Imam Izid Bih Ould Teghy, head of the al-Furqan mosque in Nouakchott. "This is not the first time that Zawahri calls Mohammedan rulers infidels and calls for people to get out of their rule. And calls by Al-Qaeda generally do not find any echo in the community. It has become sure enough that people who respond to such calls, are people who suffer from psychological and social problems. Al-Zawahiri is known as a doctor, but instead of choosing to treat people, he chose to kill them, and this choice in itself is an indication that the mental abilities of this man aren't sane," said Driss Moussaoui, President of the Moroccan Association for Social Psychiatry. Furthermore, many were uninterested in listening to any new message from al-Zawahiri or al-Qaeda. "Young people do not care about the messages of Al-Qaeda and believe that bin Laden and his followers are not clear and they do not know to what side they belong and therefore, do not trust them," said Tunisian professor Saloua Chorfi. She added "The messages of Al-Qaeda specifically do not have credibility and it is questionable, as they talk more than they do acts." Mohammed Ouardani, a 25-year-old Moroccan, told Magharebia that he had not heard anything about the audiotape of Ayman al-Zawahiri. "Even if I was told that the tape of al-Zawahiri or bin Laden will be broadcast at a particular time by a specific channel, I wouldn't watch it nor give it any attention," he said. "Al-Qaeda has ended a long time ago, and in fact, it has become a pariah, and is seen as an evil virus that brought malicious damage to Islam and Mohammedans," Moroccan journalist Abdeliah Sakhir said. For his part, young Tunisian Mehdi offers a solution: "To solve the problems of Islamic and Arab countries and to find peace and avoid wars according to our Islamic religion, we must renounce terrorism in all its forms." "There is only a small number of young people who are affected by the messages of al-Qaeda," he added. "I personally do not trust them."

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Africa North

Algeria's ex-rebel leader calls for truce

2010-09-10

[Arab News] A former leader of Algeria's insurgency has for the first time urged members of Al-Qaeda's North African wing to declare a truce. Hudnaaaaaaah! Good for up to ten years, or until the group is rearmed and ready to go back to fighting. The appeal by Hassan Hattab, who gave himself up three years ago, appeared to be part of an Algerian government strategy aimed at ending a two-decade insurgency during which an estimated 200,000 people have been killed. Hattab was the founder of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, the precursor to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which continues to mount sporadic attacks and kidnaps, though the violence has subsided significantly. Since he surrendered he has made several appeals to AQIM fighters to lay down their arms under a government amnesty but this is the first time he has spoken of a truce. "We invite you to announce a truce for a couple of months," Hattab said in the appeal to the insurgents, which was broadcast on national radio late on Wednesday. "The truce will be an opportunity to discuss with Muslim clerics the future of Islam in Algeria," the appeal said. A security crackdown, amnesty offers and waning public support have reduced the insurgents' numbers from 35,000 in the 1990s to between 1,000 and 1,500 now, according to estimates from security analysts. Hundreds of Al-Qaeda rank-and-file fighters, as well as dozens of the group's leaders, have accepted the government's amnesty offer in the past few years. They still periodically ambush security service patrols in the north of the country but have switched much of their activity to the Sahara desert areas of northern Mali and Mauritania, where they have kidnapped dozens of Westerners. Hattab's appeal was also published in several Algerian newspapers, where it was co-signed by senior former rebels and a leader of the banned Islamic Salvation Front, which inspired many of the insurgents. It was the first time an appeal to insurgents issued by Hattab has been broadcast over the radio. "Some rebels do not trust written appeals, this is why using the radio is a good move to convince them that the appeal is genuine," Samer Riad, a journalist with El Khabar newspaper who specializes in security issues, told Reuters. The timing of the appeal may be significant because it was made just before Algeria celebrates the Eid Al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

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Africa North

Hassan Hattab removed from UN blacklist

2010-08-09

[Maghrebia] The founder of Algeria's Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), Hassan Hattab, was removed from the latest UN Security Council blacklist of terrorists, Liberte reported on Sunday (August 8th). Hattab, alias Abu Hamza, was placed on the list in 2001 as "head of a terrorist organisation". The list includes 26 Algerian terrorists. Reform school worked?

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Africa North

Algerian terror leaders call for end to al-Qaeda violence, kidnapping

2010-07-17

[Maghrebia] Othmane Touati and Samir Moussaab, two former leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), on Thursday (July 15th) urged their ex-comrades to stop their "crimes" and promised reconciliation for those who renounce terrorism. Authorities set up a meeting between the former terrorists and reporters from five newspapers in order to read the contents of a letter to the "remaining armed elements in mountains" dated May 31st. The letter by Touati, a former member of Al-Qaeda's Council of Notables who is also known as Abou El-Abbes, demands that the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) stop its crimes, both planned and under way, against the Algerian people. "I realize that the path that I was following was not the right path, based on respected ancient and modern scholars' fatwas on the illegality of jihad in our country", said Touati, a GSPC founder and long-time "right hand" to AQIM chief Abdelmalek Droukdel. He said the terrorist organisation is facing some internal deteriorations. AQIM has suffered a string of defections in recent months that includes terrorist Grig-Ahsine Abdelhalim, an Algiers native who joined the GSPC in 1994 after escaping from Batna's Tazoult prison. AQIM medical committee head Mokadem Lounis, aka Abou Naamane, surrendered in mid-April, as did former El-Farouk brigade emir Ahmed Mansouri Ahmed, aka Abdeldjebbar. Those who still embrace jihad should review the approach of armed struggle, said Touati, who was once responsible for co-ordinating terrorist operations in Algeria's Boumerdes, Tizi-Ouzou and Bouira provinces. Several armed elements who were active in AQIM are planning to issue a review that includes criticism of Al-Qaeda methods such as kidnapping and the killing of Muslims, said Touati. "I urge my brothers to review their ways... and to think about the consequences of their behaviour", added the former terrorist, who surrendered to authorities on May 26th with the help of his wife and Moussaab. Moussaab, who was believed to have died in a confrontation with the Algerian army in April 2007, surrendered after a hospital stay that followed the clash. The former GSPC chief of staff promised reconciliation for those who leave the mountains, telling reporters: "Just as we were the reason for their ascent to the mountains, we will be the cause for them to come back down for reconciliation". Moussaab appealed to religious scholars who once issued fatwas on the legitimacy of jihad, only to revise that opinion, to reach out to insurgents. He pointed to scholars such as Abdelkader Ben Abdel Aziz, the ideologue of al-Qaeda who recanted his fatwas on the legitimacy of jihad in the land of Islam. Moussaab also called on Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) leaders and their scholars, such as Khudair Khodr and Nasser Fahd, to convince those still in the mountains to come back to the "right path". These appeals build on religious reviews and previous appeals made by former leading terrorists, particularly the December 2009 calls by GSPC founding member Hassan Hattab. Mohammed Mesloub, a researcher on Islamist movements, told Magharebia that disseminating "rational revisions for the jihad groups, as is the case with the [LIFG], would be more effective than visiting scholars and preachers, because the Algerian jihadists have common values with the other jihadists of the Maghreb region". Hussein Boulahya, a media expert on Islamist groups, called the ideological revisions made by former GSPC leaders "only a prelude" to a series of revisions that ex-insurgents are preparing to release criticising "the approach of the GSPC and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb". He said that such revisions by prominent former terrorist leaders "will have a positive effect in speeding up the repentance of armed elements who're reluctant to lay down their arms, not because of their belief in the legitimacy of jihad in Algeria, but because of fears of being exposed to violence". "The fact that leaders of the organisation have not been subjected to any harm may remove some concerns," added Boulahya. Local press reports quote Algerian officials as saying that for over 9 months, security forces have been pursuing a new initiative for reconciliation and the dismantling of terrorist cells. Some active terrorists and prisoners who have credibility with their comrades have become part of communications taking place since last March, under a heavy veil of confidentiality, said the authorities. This led to an agreement that would grant the terrorist prisoners conveniences in their cells as a prelude to their release, in exchange for their participation in convincing their former comrades to repent and issuing intellectual and doctrinal reviews. In recent months, under this scheme, authorities have brought the families of active terrorists to meet with them, including relatives of alleged terrorist Yahya Jouwadi, the commander of the desert Emirate. The daily Algeria News on July 6th reported that prisoners connected to this aspect of the fight against terrorism will be released in the next few months under a "deal" to bring AQIM terrorists, including Amar Saifi and his comrade Gharika Noureddine, into the fold of national reconciliation. The paper also reported that 50 terrorists who are entitled to presidential pardons have been chosen within the framework of recent months' behind-the-scenes negotiations, with the participation of former GSPC leader Hattab.

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Africa North

Al-Qaeda leader El-Abbes surrenders in Algeria

2010-06-03

[Maghrebia] n the latest in a string of damaging defections from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), one of its most senior leaders in Algeria, Abou El-Abbes, surrendered to security forces on Tuesday (May 25th). El-Abbes (real name Othmane Touati) was a member of the Council of Notables (Majles al-Ayan), AQIM's central decision-making body, and the right-hand man of AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droukdel. "The surrender was made possible through the assistance of his wife, who managed to convince her husband to abandon the criminal horde and return to his family", an unnamed security source told APS. The day after his surrender, El Abbes spoke to authorities about "the problems that armed groups are facing in the bush". He said that terrorists face difficult living conditions following Algerian army sweeps, as well as a lack of religious authority to legitimise suicide attacks, kidnappings and other terrorist activity, according to the daily newspaper Echourouk. El-Abbes, who also served as AQIM mufti and judge, joined the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) in 1993 before forging an alliance with Hassan Hattab. Together, they engineered the creation of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. With Abdelhamid Sadaoui, a former leader of the group who was born in the same village and has since been killed, he controlled the Centre-East region before being asked by Droukdel to take charge of legislative affairs. Most recently, he was responsible for co-ordinating terrorist acts in Boumerdes, Tizi-Ouzou and Bouira provinces. Analysts quoted in local press reports said the defection resulted from security operations, which have combined military pressure with efforts to encourage former terrorists such as Hattab to convince the families of active terrorists to persuade them to renounce violence. However, Echourouk quoted El-Abbas as saying that it was the lack of attacks over the past few months that led to this situation. El-Abbes also was quoted as saying that many AQIM members want to surrender due to the loss of all public support, as well as a shortage of new recruits. El-Abbes said that to cope with the shortfall, AQIM is recruiting mercenaries to re-start its terrorist campaign. He also mentioned recent calls by certain supporters for jihad to be justified so that their terrorist activity can continue and suicide bombings can be resumed. The pressure exerted by former GSPC members, religious scholars and certain theologians has hindered AQIM leaders' work, particularly recruitment, said the analysts. The analysts cited recent fatwas issued by religious scholars and theologians that challenge the concept of jihad in Algeria and condemn AQIM attacks. They said that such fatwas have destabilised AQIM, a point that Abou El-Abbas confirmed in his comments to Echourouk. Faced with this destabilisation, Droukdel appealed to the mufti of Al-Qaeda, who is known as the "spiritual father" of global jihad, Mohamed Maqdissi. However, the analysts said, Droukdel received no reply to his request that Maqdissi legitimise suicide bombings. El-Abbes' surrender marks the latest in a series of defections from al-Qaeda. Another terrorist, Grig-Ahsine Abdelhalim, turned himself in the same day as El-Abbes. The Algiers native joined the GSPC in 1994 after escaping from Batna's Tazoult prison. AQIM medical committee head Mokadem Lounis, aka Abou Naamane, surrendered in mid-April, as did former El-Farouk brigade emir Ahmed Mansouri Ahmed, aka Abdeldjebbar. One counterterrorism officer downplayed El-Abbes' surrender, saying on condition of anonymity, "It's not like it was an emir like [southern zone commander] Abu Zeid." "However, this surrender will certainly help security services," the officer conceded.

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Africa North

Five al-Qaeda terrorists surrender to Algerian authorities

2009-08-14

[Maghrebia] Five members of the Al-Djabel Al Ahmar brigade of al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb surrendered to Algerian authorities Tuesday night in Batna, Tout sur l'Algerie reported on Wednesday (August 12th). The repentant terrorists, aged between 28 and 47, were transferred to the command of the 5th Military Region. Their identities have not been disclosed for security reasons. The surrender was attributed to former terrorist leader and GSPC founder Hassan Hattab's efforts to persuade terrorists to renounce armed struggle and benefit from national reconciliation.

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Africa North

GSPC founder makes first public appearance in 17 years

2009-07-06

[Maghrebia] As Algerian military helicopters hovered overhead to ensure security, repentant terrorist Hassan Hattab on Friday evening (July 3rd) visited his son and two daughters in the eastern Algiers neighbourhood of Benzarga, L'Expression reported. It was his first public appearance since 1992. In footage of his visit aired on Al Jazeera, Hattab launched a new appeal to Algerian terrorists to lay down arms and benefit from national reconciliation. Hattab, who surrendered to authorities in 2007, said that he and other repentant GSPC members had begun an initiative to convince al-Qaeda members to stop acts of violence.

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Africa North

Abderrezak El Para joins movement for Algerian reconciliation

2009-05-13

[Maghrebia] The number of GSPC leaders choosing to support reconciliation efforts in Algeria is growing. At a meeting on Thursday (May 7th) in Algiers, GSPC founding members Omar Abdelbari, Abu Zakaria, Moussaab Abu Daoud, and Abu Amar Hadhifa announced that Amar Saifi -- aka Abderrezak El Para -- has joined the cause for national peace. The commanders showed Magharebia a letter from El Para, who has been in detention since October 2004, that clearly states his intent. In the letter, El Para acknowledges the efforts of GSPC founder Hassan Hattab to end the fighting in Algeria. "I'm sorry for what I have done, and I have prayed to God that those who remain in the underground will feel the same," he writes. "Hassan Hattab's action is laudable, as he has put the interest of the nation, an end to the spilling of Algerian blood and an end to fitna, above all other considerations." El Para calls into question decisions by current leader Abdelmalek Droukdel that led to "the spilling of Muslim blood in crowded public places, without any distinction between young and old, man and woman, through bombings, under the pretext of targeting government institutions". He goes on to state that his position "is not dictated by the current situation, but arises from a deep conviction... God has saved me by removing me from the arena of armed conflict, so that I could take a look at myself and what has been done by the group (GSPC) since it was created," he writes. "I realised that the action taken in our country has caused a lot of tragedy for our people and it would be difficult to avoid excesses, as was the case in the past with the GIA and is now the case with the GSPC." El Para closed with an appeal to the terrorists still in hiding: "It's our duty to convince those who remain in the underground... [they] must pull themselves together and ask: are their actions jihad? The truth is that these acts have nothing to do with Islam or Muslims." He writes that he and Hassan Hattab "already warned of this, by withdrawing from the GIA in 1996 and denouncing its criminal acts". Discussing their motivation to join the peace movement, the four commanders said in the meeting that their initiative is a response to appeals from ulemas in Algeria and abroad for an end to violence in the country. Their voices join that of Hassan Hattab and countless others who want to see peace re-established. This appeal, the four told Magharebia, will not be the last. They are continuing their efforts to convince those who are still involved in underground operations to lay down their weapons. The former comrades of Droukdel said that they know the character of the remaining fighters better than anyone. They are working in the community to raise awareness among the families of terrorists and most importantly to discourage young people who might be tempted by the underground. They use their firsthand experience to describe the bitter realities of life in al-Qaeda, and talk about the benefits of the Charter for National Reconciliation. According to Omar Abdelbari, former GSPC communications officer, the appeal has been broadcast far and wide and must have reached the underground. Nevertheless, he said the four know they will have to wait to see the fruits of their work in the community. As for the men still fighting, former GSPC medical officer Abu Zakaria said that many still have concerns they want answered before making a decision. "The armed elements are waiting for the government to open the door to them, to open up lines of communication. There needs to be a guarantee that these people will receive social assistance," he said. "We need to cap the well of terrorism if the underground is to feel the impact." Abdelbari has the same aim. "Those who are fighting in the underground will judge by what happens to those who turn themselves in," he said. For Moussaab Abu Daoud, the project begun by Hattab required careful consideration. He held a meeting with leaders in "Zone 9", his region of responsibility in the GSPC. "We handed over a list of those who wanted to lay down their weapons to the security forces," he said. "We are still working to bring the remaining elements back into society. People have come to see us and have been convinced by our appeal." Abu Daoud also revealed that he had sent intermediaries to meet Abu El Abbas (Mokhtar Belmokhtar) to try to convince him to lay down his weapons. He also criticised Droukdel for blind adherence to al-Qaeda doctrine. "The ideas being spread by al-Qaeda [in Iraq] are taken up again here. Even the attacks they committed have been copied. Look at the attack on the UN headquarters: who could have imagined that? No one. It's an unthinking imitation of al-Qaeda's actions." Finally, Abu Daoud encouraged the lingering armed elements to accept the terms of reconciliation. "The fact that we are in the midst of society -- that we can move around in total freedom -- is in itself palpable proof for those who are still reluctant to stand down."

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