SHTF in Algeria (41 Hostages)

Latest feedback from French independant tv now says that 150 Algerian employees working for a French catering company within the British Petroleum plant are now added to the 41 supposed hostages already taken.

Hold on for a tight ride folks, this is going to get tricky over the next couple of days.

Sincerest heartfelt thoughts go out to all international employees and families concerned and also Ex pats from all over the world who are in this region at the moment.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Latest from france 24 english tv reports the armed terrorists are still at the oil compound and the Algerian military has surrounded them, and they are threatening execution. www.france24.com...

reply to post by Rodinus


Goodnight Rodinus thanks for posting this. Regards, Cotton.

Well Cotton...

I guess i am not yet going to bed as quite shattered after a hectic day!

Things seem to be looking a little bit more grim as they are now saying that Algerian forces have surrounded the compound.

What concerns me at this particular moment is the fact that the Algerian military may shoot first and ask questions later, which may lead to an issue that no-one would want!

Although this has not really become an international news feed, a live link to ongoing events can be found at the daily telegraph site here :

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Good luck to you and your hubby and thinking of all those who are affected.

Warmest and kindest respects

Rodinus

13 norwegians are working at the plant. 4 got away, and still 9 missing, most probably among the hostages!

According to norwegian media, the surrounding area are now mined. They are demanding 100 islamist that's in Algerie prison to be set free and that France pull out of Mali, which all this is a revenge for!

And this guy is behind it : The One-Eyed

I hope that the Norwegians make it away safely?

Ok...

On a lighter note... I have just gone outside for my last nicotine blast before finally making a decision to go to bed as i will have to get up at 05:00 am tomorrow morning and be a kind husband and scrape the ice off my wifes windowscreen before she heads off to work... and glanced up to contemplate the night sky...

What did i see?

Well, no flashing triangular looking craft, chinese lanterns, com/chem trails across the sky or grey beings lurking around my garden, no shape shifting grey alien googly eyed monsters hiding behind the dustbin... just my cat having a quick claw sharpening session on the water tap that took me ages to insulate this evening with numbed fingers in the dark... i hate my cat!

Nighty night folks... and catch you in about 8 hours for the next update.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Originally posted by Rodinus
I hope that the Norwegians make it away safely?

Ok...

On a lighter note... I have just gone outside for my last nicotine blast before finally making a decision to go to bed as i will have to get up at 05:00 am tomorrow morning and be a kind husband and scrape the ice off my wifes windowscreen before she heads off to work... and glanced up to contemplate the night sky...

What did i see?

Well, no flashing triangular looking craft, chinese lanterns, com/chem trails across the sky or grey beings lurking around my garden, no shape shifting grey alien googly eyed monsters hiding behind the dustbin... just my cat having a quick claw sharpening session on the water tap that took me ages to insulate this evening with numbed fingers in the dark... i hate my cat!

Nighty night folks... and catch you in about 8 hours for the next update.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

I have too many cats, I know how you feel! Thank you again, I am definitely worried about all the oil fields in the area, and I don't know how diplomatic the Algerian military will be in this situation, but I am sure they will do their best to protect the foreign nationals, I know from being one and being here that they welcome me and make sure I am safe and are on high alert most definitely now across Algeria and the police so if its any consolation for families of those held, I know the Algerians will do whatever they can to secure their release. Kind regards to all too, Cotton from Algeria

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Our Illustrious President has decided the whole of North Africa is the next stop on our little World Tour for bringing better days and brighter futures to people who aren't asking for it, don't want it and will kill us for attempting it.

Because we all know that Obama personally invented European colonialism in his first term.

I am always amused at how quickly any issue gets dumped in his lap by the Right.

Originally posted by Rodinus
Latest feedback from French independant tv now says that 150 Algerian employees working for a French catering company within the British Petroleum plant are now added to the 41 supposed hostages already taken.

I heard that on the news here in Aus and I thought they must of made a mistake or something. Thats not good at all.

Major SHTF scenario coming out of nowhere.


Saddly, I forsee this as just the first major/large incident of this kind in a long term battle against foreign occupation in Africa and Foreign Coporations there.

Think of Vietnam to the power of 100.....Africa is a huge place.

I dont think there will be much media coverage of many battles to come there.....Africa will become the next long war, the next major resource battlefield and dont be suprised if along the way US and Chinese troops face off along with the Islamists......major turd-salad in the making.

Hi Folks,

Latest update :

Algerian army is surronding the compound and the hostage takers have said that they will not negotiate until the army leaves... however, what is worrying is that the Algerian army are very well known for rushing into things head first which may lead to something similar to the situation when the Russian special forces stormed a school in a hostage situation back in 2004 and more than a 100 people were sadly killed :

archive.newsmax.com...

Rumours also say that the Algerian employees of A french catering firm were being released by groups of 20 but the director of CIS catering has stated that up until now he has no knowledge of anyone being released.

More updates here :

www.guardian.co.uk...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Forgot to mention in my last post, here is a link to an Indian real time news source that groups all other news sources related to the incident real time too :

realtime.rediff.com...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

latest, 30 hostages have escaped but no detail on how www.ynetnews.com...

This has the makings of becoming one of the most spectacular hostage situations since the siege at the Iranian Embassy in London.

So far we know that the hostage takers are most likely form Al-Qa’ida in The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) or form a group calling itself Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade which is an off-shot of AQIM created by one of its former commanders after a fall out with AQIM leadership, Mokhtar Belmokhtar. Regardless, these hostage takers are committed and have a radical Islamic ideology.

As far as I know no clear demands have yet been made public by the hostage takers but they have provided the Algerians with a list of demands but have said they will not negotiate. The truth I think is that they will negotiate as in they will enter dialogue with the hostage takers however they won’t have anything to negotiate with. Most likely the hostage takers are going to demand the withdrawal of French and other western forces form Mali and the rest of the continent.

So far we know that at least one British national and one french has been killed since the start of this along with one Algerian. There are also some conflicting reports as well just now that between 15 and 30 hostages have managed to escape. In addition to this the Algerian army has surrounded the facility however no solution appears to be in sight.

I would say it is likely that this is going to end in the use of force, I do not think these militants will back down they can use this situation as a massive propaganda coup and they are prepared to die anyway. So the question then I what can be done, based on the ideology of these hostage takers I would have to say that they will not surrender.

I think there will be a Special Forces hostage rescue operation to free the remaining hostages but the question is who would conduct such an operation. The Algerian special forces the “Special intervention group” I do not believe have the ability to safely conduct this operation. Therefore I believe it is likely that states such as France, Brittan and America will be pressing the Algerians for a foreign force to deal with the crisis. I know that some will jump to assume that Frances GIGN will take up this role however I think hat is unlikely, they have just failed at rescuing one of their own in Somalia, they are currently engaged in Mali and there is also a significant terrorist threat facing the French homeland just now. That realistically leaves the British and the Americans, again American Special Forces are engaged inside Mali as well in addition to this are still active in a number of combat zones. I would personally believe that this is going to fall on the lap of British Special Forces, a British national has already been killed, the FCO is being very vocal about this situation and there are reports that British Special Forces are already on standby to head up a rescue. Therefore I would have to say that in the coming days we may very well see a British Operation to extract these hostages

According to BFM news an Algerian helicopter has just bombed the site and 2 Japanese hostages are injured although this needs to be confirmed as it is the hostage takers who are stating that they are injured.

According to reuters sopme hostages are being forced to wear explosive belts :

www.reuters.com...

To be followed

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Originally posted by OtherSideOfTheCoin
This has the makings of becoming one of the most spectacular hostage situations since the siege at the Iranian Embassy in London.

So far we know that the hostage takers are most likely form Al-Qa’ida in The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) or form a group calling itself Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade which is an off-shot of AQIM created by one of its former commanders after a fall out with AQIM leadership, Mokhtar Belmokhtar. Regardless, these hostage takers are committed and have a radical Islamic ideology.

As far as I know no clear demands have yet been made public by the hostage takers but they have provided the Algerians with a list of demands but have said they will not negotiate. The truth I think is that they will negotiate as in they will enter dialogue with the hostage takers however they won’t have anything to negotiate with. Most likely the hostage takers are going to demand the withdrawal of French and other western forces form Mali and the rest of the continent.

So far we know that at least one British national has been killed since the start of this along with one Algerian. There are also some conflicting reports as well just now that between 15 and 30 hostages have managed to escape. In addition to this the Algerian army has surrounded the facility however no solution appears to be in sight.

I would say it is likely that this is going to end in the use of force, I do not think these militants will back down they can use this situation as a massive propaganda coup and they are prepared to die anyway. So the question then I what can be done, based on the ideology of these hostage takers I would have to say that they will not surrender.

I think there will be a Special Forces hostage rescue operation to free the remaining hostages but the question is who would conduct such an operation. The Algerian special forces the “Special intervention group” I do not believe have the ability to safely conduct this operation. Therefore I believe it is likely that states such as France, Brittan and America will be pressing the Algerians for a foreign force to deal with the crisis. I know that some will jump to assume that Frances GIGN will take up this role however I think hat is unlikely, they have just failed at rescuing one of their own in Somalia, they are currently engaged in Mali and there is also a significant terrorist threat facing the French homeland just now. That realistically leaves the British and the Americans, again American Special Forces are engaged inside Mali as well in addition to this are still active in a number of combat zones. I would personally believe that this is going to fall on the lap of British Special Forces, a British national has already been killed, the FCO is being very vocal about this situation and there are reports that British Special Forces are already on standby to head up a rescue. Therefore I would have to say that in the coming days we may very well see a British Operation to extract these hostages

The demands from the hostage takers at the moment seem to be to ask the French military to stop the Mali intervention and to close algerian air space to French forces

Kindest respects

Rodinus

reply to post by Rodinus


did i not say that......

reply to post by Rodinus

This will probably end up with the French RAID or GIGN special police forces (equivalent of UK SAS or US SWAT teams) going in

You do realise that saying that GIGN and SAS are the “equivalent” of a US SWAT Team is a bit like me saying my penis is “equivalent” to that of a blue Whales….. They are in no way “equivalent”

Also just so you know GIGN is not a “special police force” it is a branch of the French Armed Forces. GIPN and RAID however are police specialist units for domestic counter terrorism. Also the SAS is not a police force it is Army, SWAT is a law enforcement force. I think you might be a little bit confused as to whats what.

Originally posted by Rodinus

Originally posted by OtherSideOfTheCoin
This has the makings of becoming one of the most spectacular hostage situations since the siege at the Iranian Embassy in London.

So far we know that the hostage takers are most likely form Al-Qa’ida in The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) or form a group calling itself Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade which is an off-shot of AQIM created by one of its former commanders after a fall out with AQIM leadership, Mokhtar Belmokhtar. Regardless, these hostage takers are committed and have a radical Islamic ideology.

As far as I know no clear demands have yet been made public by the hostage takers but they have provided the Algerians with a list of demands but have said they will not negotiate. The truth I think is that they will negotiate as in they will enter dialogue with the hostage takers however they won’t have anything to negotiate with. Most likely the hostage takers are going to demand the withdrawal of French and other western forces form Mali and the rest of the continent.

So far we know that at least one British national has been killed since the start of this along with one Algerian. There are also some conflicting reports as well just now that between 15 and 30 hostages have managed to escape. In addition to this the Algerian army has surrounded the facility however no solution appears to be in sight.

I would say it is likely that this is going to end in the use of force, I do not think these militants will back down they can use this situation as a massive propaganda coup and they are prepared to die anyway. So the question then I what can be done, based on the ideology of these hostage takers I would have to say that they will not surrender.

I think there will be a Special Forces hostage rescue operation to free the remaining hostages but the question is who would conduct such an operation. The Algerian special forces the “Special intervention group” I do not believe have the ability to safely conduct this operation. Therefore I believe it is likely that states such as France, Brittan and America will be pressing the Algerians for a foreign force to deal with the crisis. I know that some will jump to assume that Frances GIGN will take up this role however I think hat is unlikely, they have just failed at rescuing one of their own in Somalia, they are currently engaged in Mali and there is also a significant terrorist threat facing the French homeland just now. That realistically leaves the British and the Americans, again American Special Forces are engaged inside Mali as well in addition to this are still active in a number of combat zones. I would personally believe that this is going to fall on the lap of British Special Forces, a British national has already been killed, the FCO is being very vocal about this situation and there are reports that British Special Forces are already on standby to head up a rescue. Therefore I would have to say that in the coming days we may very well see a British Operation to extract these hostages

Actually pretty much all you outlined was previous outlined throughout the post. Also, it was mentioned the hostage takers are demanding a prisoner release from Algeria as well.

Originally posted by OtherSideOfTheCoin
reply to post by Rodinus

 

This will probably end up with the French RAID or GIGN special police forces (equivalent of UK SAS or US SWAT teams) going in

You do realise that saying that GIGN and SAS are the “equivalent” of a US SWAT Team is a bit like me saying my penis is “equivalent” to that of a blue Whales….. They are in no way “equivalent”

Also just so you know GIGN is not a “special police force” it is a branch of the French Armed Forces. GIPN and RAID however are police specialist units for domestic counter terrorism. Also the SAS is not a police force it is Army, SWAT is a law enforcement force. I think you might be a little bit confused as to whats what.

Thank you for your pertinent comments Otherside.

I do realise the difference indeed as i live in France but just wanted to make things easier and not go into too many details... but i guess next time i will have to be more precise!

Thanks once again

Kindest respects

Rodinus