Sir, - In all the euphoria generated by the war against terrorism some discrimination needs to be exercised. The Algerian junta is one case in point. Since April last, when Gen Nezzar, the strong man of the Algerian military, fled Paris after a lawsuit was filed against him for crimes against humanity, the Algerian generals have been living in fear of international justice and were afraid to leave the confines of Algerian territory.
Now they are exploiting this terrible tragedy in the United States and claiming vindication for their massive violations of human rights over the past 10 years, claiming they were in the vanguard of the fight against Islamic fundamentalism.
However, the truth is far different. Some 150,000 Algerian citizens murdered and over 6,000 disappeared in the past 10 years are the legacy of a refusal of the generals to respect the wishes of 92 per cent of Algerians who voted in 1992 for an Islamic socialist republic based on the principles of Islam and respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights.
The struggle against terrorism must be discriminating and embrace only nations and states that respect and promote fundamental freedoms and human rights. - Yours, etc.,
Brendan Butler, Ireland-Algeria Solidarity Group, Upper Camden Street, Dublin 2.