SHTF in Algeria (41 Hostages)

reply to post by RUFFREADY


Well, if that is true, I suppose we wont have to negotiate with terrorists.

reply to post by RUFFREADY


There are many rumours surfacing everywhere, from govts and the demons, espacially on Tweeter.

Best we wait for official confirmations, and not be fooled into anything.

The reports on the news are so scattered and unclear! I keep hearing contradicting reports all day.
Cottonwood, do you think you and your husband will get out of Algeria??
It just sounds so dangerous.....

Originally posted by Bluesma
The reports on the news are so scattered and unclear! I keep hearing contradicting reports all day.
Cottonwood, do you think you and your husband will get out of Algeria??
It just sounds so dangerous.....

Yah I am waiting to see if things get worse here, thanks for your care. My husband is home in 3 days thanks God, and in an hour even he may have some further details about whats going on in the oil fields. If the violence spreads and war breaks out, we will be leaving and going back to Canada. Thank you for asking. It is definitely worrying right now, considering how many average Algerians travel bi-monthly to work in the sahara and without this income what kind of chaos would ensue especially when the majority of Algerians are already oppressed. These brave good men go work in the desert for sometimes only 25,000 dinars a month which is equal to about 250$ dollars a month usd, and is by far a better living then most. Off the top of my head I am wondering about family I have from the same town as me who could be at the al amenas gas field. I will find out more soon. Prayers and thoughts are with them.

To add some details about the assault, the United States sent a drone aircraft for surveillance over the Algerian gas plant. No details on the drone mission.

Take care

dime to a dozen, there is spec. ops guys there now from france, england and the U.S....there will be scattered reports for a while, i bet....when there is no news, there is s**t going down.

reply to post by jimmyx


"The situation from the start, Washington seeking clarity form the Algerians, very little is known, Obama will not get into specifics, Americans were involved, don't know how many have died". This was the latest statement on France 24 tv from Washington. I just spoke to my husband on the phone, he says a man that just came from el amenas oil field has told them there is more like 300-400 staff at that base not 600, it is a smaller base then in Hassi Messaoud. My husband also says they have already increased military at other oil sites though Algerians are not being evacuated thus far.

I'm wondering if we could start having some more mature and non-hyperbolic thread titles on ATS?

The other thread on this topic claimed many were dead from a helicopter attack, but that is unconfirmed at this time and was only apparent once reading the article.

If it is true then it's an awful bungling disaster. It seems the tactic of just killing everyone as a form of deterrent was used to any others thinking of pulling a similar stunt or either it was just a complete mess up.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

'Prepare for bad news': Cameron warns of many deaths in Algeria as he cancels speech over hostage crisis.

Cameron warns of grim events in Algerian hostage crisis
He has cancelled speech on Europe as drama rages

Helicopters 'began strafing' complex, also killing 15 militants, claim rebels

Militants had earlier threatened to blow up the hostages if they intervened
Al-Qaeda group also demand safe passage out of facility with the hostages
Two British nationals and Algerian are believed to have been killed in siege

This is getting worse and worse.

A few words about the 600 hostages that had escaped, it looks like they were more like trapped or not able to exit the facility because the algerian military surrounded the facility and kinda sealed it.
Still a scary and uncertain situation though.

Take care

Originally posted by Kram09
I'm wondering if we could start having some more mature and non-hyperbolic thread titles on ATS?

The other thread on this topic claimed many were dead from a helicopter attack, but that is unconfirmed at this time and was only apparent once reading the article.

If it is true then it's an awful bungling disaster. It seems the tactic of just killing everyone as a form of deterrent was used to any others thinking of pulling a similar stunt or either it was just a complete mess up.

So Kram,

The title of this thread for you is immature and non-hyperbolic?

May i inform you that for those who are involved in this situation over there in Algeria, that the Sh**t has indeed proverbally hit the fan in a very big sloppy messy way! I believe that this is not only going to affect Algeria but also neigbouring countries in Africa as well as countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

Up until now numbers are still unsure and probablly will not be confirmed and released until after the situation on site over there has been finalised. the numbers of Hostages killed, freed or escaped and terrorists killed is all very erratic now as coming from many different news sources.

However i totally agree with youthat this is an awful bungling disaster and it is such a shame that this attempt to free the hostages was not carried out with much thought and concertation from other countries.

I am not going to update anymore tonight as nothing much has changed so will wait until tomorrow.

Good night to you all and heartfelt thoughts go out to all involved.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

This sucks in oh so many levels...
As news reports arrive I'm losing hope of the Algerian army being able to minimize the bloodbath.
Besides that, this is only going to reinforce the "good guys vs evil terrorist" mentality that disables any critical thinking.
The issue is SO complex that tackling it from a cowboy perspective is extremely dangerous. And thousands have already being murdered because of that mentality.
All of these "radical groups" are PAWNS in the global geopolitical chess. It's not about Islam, it's not about X virgins in paradise. It's about power. It's about the old game of dividing the cake between the fattest ones.

And the People is left between siding with violent illegal extremists or siding with violent governmental extremists.

Guess what, I'm siding with the People.


Here's hoping no one else is murdered over there (not easy).
And to any ATSers living near or working for X big corporation over there, take care. (And if possible, reflect on who you are working for)

Peace.

Military operation at gas facility over. (Algerian state news agency APS quotes from official)

Unfortunately, as much as one may enjoys living in conspiracy theories or delusions, one has to wake up to realities in the end.

The hostage crisis is a reality, and so too the outcome all will have to face up to, instead of more BS.

The hostages were workers, and not actors. The Islamic radical militants, are hell bent to kill, a reality, regardless of whatever conspiracy theory BS some might throw to support or distract others from truth.

The algerians, long suffered under the hands of Islamist radicals for decades, do know what it has to do to help end the suffering of all, as best as they can to save as much lives as possible, for they know those demons are not interested in life, but death of others, one way or another, one group or another elsewhere.

Well I don't find any of this surprising. The Algerian government is always quiet, they never tell the people anything upon further thinking on this subject. They are saying on France 24 tv, that the Algerian news agency hasn't even got this story as a feature and the goverments are all in the dark, well now they know how the people in Algeria feel anyway. I was sitting here thinking to myself, Omg it all makes sense now. Sometimes I hear bombs going off in the mountains, big ones going off for hours and never is there a word about it happening, its just the norm now, people keep silent, cause they have given up thus far. I am actually glad the gov has behaved as it has openly cause it gives some insight to how people live here daily. In the dark.

My husband also told me from the oil field he works at there is reports from al amenas the fight is over, but he told me this 2 hours ago. So they must be taking this time to figure out what they are going to say next.

Is MY opinion that the problem is not the "radical islamists".
That's just the trendy title for pawns.
I'm not saying they don't exist. That would be ridiculous.
I'm saying they are not the ones moving the pieces.
For me, living outside the "first world", it is pretty clear because we've seen it in OUR OWN COUNTRIES.

And i'm not talking only about the US; Europe is no less guilty, they raped Africa for ages, they destroyed any chance for real working democratic institutions, they toppled gov'ts that weren't keen on selling the "family jewels"
(re. Iran's recent history..) (And, yes, I know Iran is not African, it's an example)

And we are the only ones that can stop this, even with all the corruption, lobbying and corporate crap, WE are the ones that vote. Even more, WE are the ones being lazy and expecting others to magically organize a real Popular movement...

As long as our Peoples remain unorganized and divided, the 1% will keep *****ing us in the ***.

It is no surprise that individuality and the concept of "self-made man" are so praised in the western world......


Cheers.

reply to post by CottonwoodStormy


Good to know you and your partner are safe and sound.
Are you planning on staying there?
It can't be easy...

I was told all the Islamist militants have been killed, I don't know about the hostages, but I expect its bad news. It is unfortunate the hardline that has been taken in this situation but again, reiterating what Hillary Clinton said, the "terrorists have no care for life" so they put these hostages in a precarious situation leaving little options for responses.

Originally posted by drakus
reply to post by CottonwoodStormy

 

Good to know you and your partner are safe and sound.
Are you planning on staying there?
It can't be easy...

edit on 17/1/2013 by drakus because: (no reason given)

Thank you, its not easy. We are just normal people (me being originally Canadian now an Algerian resident), and so are the most of people here. The people here hate these islamist extremists they have had 20 years of them, and will never identify with their mission, they want them out and thats why they are largely in the south now. This has been an ongoing fight to get rid of them. Its been an unfortunate few giving this country a bad rap though I must say in support of the gov here we have thus far avoided an uprising or revolution, and despite the problems if we pursue a path of peaceful reform, if it remains largely safe here we will stay. I live in a small town overlooking the med. sea, its peaceful here, but if it ever changed I would leave and largely everyone is watching what will happen in 2014 when the current president Bouteflika steps down. For now we are ok, (humdillil allah) thanks God.