Algerian Trauma
January 20, 2013The drama of life and death taking place in the Algerian desert has dominated the news and the government over the last few days. Britons have died, perhaps fewer than feared, but too many none the less. These victims were not military personnel, but civilian oil workers. Each death leaves a family shattered. It is final. There is no way back.
It is not surprising therefore that the approach of western governments to a hostage crisis, is to play it long, whilst preparing in depth. All were taken aback by the speed and ferocity of the Algerian military action, about which they were informed but not consulted. There is a feeling in Whitehall that perhaps more lives could have been saved by a different approach. Ministers are careful not to criticise the Algerian authorities, yet the hint is there to be spun by commentators.
This is misguided. Algeria has perhaps the best equipped, organised and trained special forces in the region. They have fought and won a long and costly civil war against extremists. They were dealing with an enemy for whom life is cheap and death a glorious reward. There was a substantial economic risk if the gas plant was damaged and put out of action. The militants were about to send some of their number, with their hostages, into the deep and inaccessible desert.
Faced with these significant challenges, the Algerian authorities judged it right to attack. Lives were lost, but let us not forget, lives were saved. We should not criticise, because we cannot say, because we do not know, what an alternative course would have yielded. We do know the Algerian government acted in, what in its judgement, was in the best interests of everyone and we should be grateful to them.
On a wider point we might spare a moment to observe that increasing instability in the region is becoming ever more obvious following the fall of Colonel Gadaffy. When Assad goes in Syria and with Egypt not yet stable after Mubarak, one wonders at the quality of thinking in western foreign ministries and if everyone is clear what it is they are wishing for.
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