Algerian Hijack: Radicals driven by violence

The Guerrillas

Tunis -The Armed Islamic Group (GIA) is considered the most radical and dangerous of Algeria's fundamentalists and the most anti-foreign. More than 70 foreigners have been killed since last year when it gave foreigners a month to get out or face death.

In the Algerian Arabic daily Essalam, an unidentified GIA leader described foreigners as "the main coronary artery" of a plan to "colonise" the country with non-Muslim unbelievers. "Killing ... them is the practical message to weaken the unbeliever rulers," he said.

The group claims to be the heir of the first wave of Muslim guerrilla activists in Algeria. This movement was considered to have been knocked out after its founder, Mustapha Bouyali, was shot dead in 1986. The GIA has a qualification for leaders that they take part in violent operations. "They ... must demonstrate they have killed significant numbers among God's enemies", the leader said. The last leader was Cherif Gousmi, 26, who was killed in a gunfight in September. Security forces said they found onhis body a letter from Ali Belhadj, number two in the FIS political command, urging Muslim rebels to intensify their war against the army-backed government.