Algeria Urges UK to Expel Islamist Extremists
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Algeria has urged the UK to expel militant Algerian Islamists it claims have been implicated in acts of terrorism, reported the BBC.online on Tuesday.
The news service quoted Algerian television as saying that Foreign Minister Abdul Aziz Belkhadem had confirmed Algeria's wish to join the international coalition against terrorism during a meeting with a top British Foreign Office representative.
The UK diplomat said he was visiting Algiers to discuss cooperation in boosting the international coalition against terrorism.
His one-day visit had been preceded by a firm commitment from the Algerians to support a coalition that was not aimed against any country, religion, people or culture.
Algerian officials complained to Bradshow that the international community had not answered requests to help Algeria rid itself of its own terrorism problem, reported the news service.
During their talks, Belkhadem added further conditions for supporting action against terrorism: that any military campaign must be under the umbrella of the United Nations and within the framework of international law.
A high-ranking UK diplomat also met with the Algerian co-operation minister, Abdel Aziz Ziari, who said it was Britain's duty to hand over any terrorist on its soil and to ensure that no such criminal benefited from UK residency permits.
The Algerians have said previously that some Algerian Islamists residing in Britain are implicated in bomb attacks and other civilian killings both in Algeria and France.
The British diplomat involved in the talks has left Algiers without making any public statement on the issue.
He has gone to Morocco, which has also expressed its desire to support US President George W. Bush's coalition against terrorism.
Other issues for discussion include new UN proposals on resolving the Western Sahara issue.
The Algerians are suspicious that the UK and the United States will try to push through the proposals under which Morocco would retain sovereignty in the disputed territory, it said – Albawaba.com
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