Tunisia’s recent domestic terrorism troubles are reminiscent of neighbouring Algeria’s ‘Black Decade,’ which was characterized by armed conflict between the Algerian state and armed Islamic Groups that emerged from the Islamic Salvation Front. These Algerian terrorist groups, who made the mountains their strongholds, carried out assassinations, kidnappings and suicide bombings as well as created fake roadblocks to ambush security.
Tunisia’s recent domestic terrorism troubles are reminiscent of neighbouring Algeria’s ‘Black Decade,’ which was characterized by armed conflict between the Algerian state and armed Islamic Groups that emerged from the Islamic Salvation Front. These Algerian terrorist groups, who made the mountains their strongholds, carried out assassinations, kidnappings and suicide bombings as well as created fake roadblocks to ambush security.
Ali al-Zaoui was a volunteer with the Algerian army and formed a volunteer counter-terrorism group. Originally a mechanical mathematics specialist and tyre dealer, al-Zaoui closed his business to join the anti-terrorism units of the army after his daughter was kidnapped by terrorists on her way home from school. In the 1990’s, al-Zaoui led a number of squads to combat armed groups in Algeria.
He offers Tunisia some advice, as he claims that Algerian terrorists are not only helping Tunisian terrorists, they are teaching the Tunisian jihadists some of their old tricks.
Ali al-Zaoui, can you say that Algeria has successfully combated terrorism?
Yes, this is true. We won our war against terrorism but we haven’t been able to put an end to it. There is no country, no matter how powerful it is, that can assert that it has been able to end terrorism. Unfortunately, after being able to relatively win the war against terrorism, we see that Algeria is still threatened today. The danger is coming from Libya and mainly from the Derna area, which is considered the back garden of al-Qaeda, after Afghanistan and its main center in Africa and the Maghreb. The danger increased after the fall of the Gaddafi regime. Although we may have disagreed with him, we have to admit that Gaddafi was a bulwark against terrorism.
What is specifically the danger coming from Libya, and what are the reasons behind terrorism, which is threatening the region?
Today, there are nearly 75 million pieces of weapons threatening the region, and all these weapons come from Libya. Moreover, the recent French intervention against Mali made these terrorists earn the “Mujahideen” (those who struggle for the sake of Allah and Islam) title against crusaders and colonial enemies as seen by most of the people of the region. It is for this reason that I have always warned against this intervention because it will bring misery to this region.
There are nearly 14,000 young men who have joined the jihad since the French intervention. Today, there are also some half a million jihadists threatening Africa and Arab countries that have witnessed revolutions and those that are suffering from political crises. Moreover, the so-called Arab revolutions and the fall of some Arab regimes were direct causes for the growing terrorism phenomenon.
How would you describe the security situation in Tunisia since the recent terrorist attacks?
The ratification of the Constitution and its somehow secular nature is a big blow to some of the Islamic streams, especially the radical members of the Ennahda Movement, who wanted the Islamic Shariah to be the source of legislation in the Constitution.
Moreover, the recent terrorist attacks, which have targeted security men in Jendouba in February this year, are reactions that reflect Islamists’ rejection of the Constitution, which is not mainly based on the Islamic law.
I believe that Tunisia today is between two fires— the fire coming from Egypt and the fire coming from Libya, which is witnessing disastrous conditions that could have a negative impact on Tunisia as well as on the whole region.
In addition to this, what is going on in Libya between the members of Ansar al-Shariah, terrorist organizations and the army threatens the stability of Tunisia and its security in the first place. Furthermore, the link between Ansar al-Shariah in Libya and their counterparts in Tunisia makes us fearful of a considerable deterioration in the security situation in Tunisia.
The events going on in Libya and the willingness of the government of Ali Zeidan to firmly deal with the various armed groups, in addition to the agreements concluded with the various Western partners such as the United States, Italy, and the United Nations to assist in enforcing security and border protection, will force terrorists and armed groups to escape from the Libyan cities to neighbouring countries, including Tunisia, which might become their haven if the situation is not under control.
How did terrorism start to strike Algeria and can we compare it to the situation in Tunisia?
In the nineties, or during the ‘Black Decade’, Algeria fought terrorism all by itself. It was the wall that protected Tunisia from terrorism especially in the Chaambi Mountains. Algeria had stopped terrorists from entering Tunisia through these mountains and it prevented making it a jihadist armed center. It is for this reason that the conditions in Tunisia remained stable during this period.
When Tunisia signed the anti-terrorism treaties after September 2001, it had witnessed several terrorist attacks such as the bombing of the Jewish Ghriba synagogue in Djerba, the kidnapping of the Austrians in Tataouine and Matmata in southeast Tunisia as well as the 2006 Suleiman Group attack. These attacks prove that there were terrorists in Tunisia at that time.
Do you think that the terrorists in Tunisia are using the same techniques used by the terrorists in Algeria during the so-called ‘Black Decade’?
I can say that the same conditions that had been witnessed by Algeria could be repeated today in Tunisia and this threat is present. The same techniques are being used in the attacks. For example, in the Jendouba attack that took place in February, a group of terrorists disguised as policemen attacked members of the security forces. It is clear that this attack had been prepared and planned by Algerian terrorists because this same method had been used during the ‘Black Decade’ and the remnants of these terrorist are still using it in some areas in Algeria.
Moreover, the use of this technique shows that terrorists are suffering from the siege, the lack of food supplies and the absence of support. It also shows that there is a very serious change in the techniques because they have started to launch attacks instead of being in the defensive side.
The participation of Algerian terrorists in the attack confirms that the Algerian terrorists are leading the terrorist groups in Tunisia. It also shows that the al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb controls the Ansar al-Shariah in Tunisia.
Does this mean that Tunisia might enter into a spiral of terrorism?
I believe that Egypt is more threatened than Tunisia by terrorist crises that would shake its security. The reason is that most of the Libyan weapons are present in Egypt. Egypt is more targeted by terrorists than Tunisia, but this does not mean that Tunisia is not in danger. Tunis will be in danger if the army and the interior ministry do not coordinate their efforts and if there is no political will to combat terrorism. It will be in danger if there is no awareness among the citizens and if they do not take part in the war on terror.
Is there cooperation today between the Tunisians and the Algerians to put an end to terrorism?
As I said earlier, Algeria is considered a bulwark for Tunisia from its western side, the Chaambi Mountain. It is not easy for terrorists to cross these borders. The cooperation between the two countries has been reflected in the information provided by Algeria as well as by its technical support.
Have there been concrete results?
We have already advised our Tunisian counterparts not to use military means in combing the Chaambi Mountains and to use other means such as bulldozers in order to avoid explosions, which have already killed some Tunisian soldiers in the past.
We have warned the Tunisians, and I repeat the warning again. They should pay special attention to the maritime boundaries with Libya because the terrorists are trying to smuggle weapons in large quantities by fishing boats and they have succeeded in doing so more than one time.
My advice is that citizens should be involved, take part and feel that they are responsible for combating terrorism. They should be involved in the attempts to crack down on those who are helping terrorists in their movement and in providing them with food in order to besiege them and end their presence.
