Security and Politics

Scrambling to respond to new security threats following the attempt terror attack on a Detroit-bound airliner, the American government responded with an overnight measure aimed at calming fear but does little in ways of strengthening security. Furthermore, this populist measure is extremely counterproductive form a diplomatic standpoint, further alienating the people targeted by the new rules, and therefore potentially leading to further resentment in parts of the world where the new US administration has been seeking to reconnect.

The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI has ordered a reshuffle of the executive branch with focus on security, justice and economic development. The reshuffle is substantial in that it involves very critical posts but is also a culmination of many years of unfulfilled social, political and economic promises.

There was a clear reminder this week that Libya remains a country full of pitfalls for foreigners (western or non). In an all too common scene, witnessed so many times during the drawn out trial and appeal of the Bulgarian nurses throughout most of the past decade, a Libyan court has postponed the trial of two Swiss businessmen, who have been detained in Libya since July 2008.

The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI has ordered a reshuffle of the executive branch with focus on security, justice and economic development.

When Money Alone is not Enough and Sound Policies Matter: In preparing for an issue of special report for The North Africa Journal, we spent a great deal of time checking what North Africa is doing in building up its infrastructure to prepare for a 21st century economy. We were rather astonished at the numbers we tallied as to the amounts each country is spending on building up. Algeria is no exception.

All Libyan affairs analysts I spoke with had the same reaction: “Oh this is Muammar Qadhaffi for you!” As if his intervention in the UN was a trivial affair. We all know Qadhaffi is an eccentric man, but for a moment, just a brief moment, I thought he would rise above the usual stereotyping to show that he is able to operate in a diplomatic setting as a true leader.

A Resilient Leader in Search of Global Influence: Libya has been in the news recently. The release of Libyan agent Al Megrahi from a Scottish jail has led to a storm of outrage in the United States, and a great deal of embarrassment in Scotland. The UK and Scottish governments have been on a defensive stance insisting that the release was not motivated by economic considerations. The opposition parties in Britain and Scotland are also trying to use this event to score political points. Meanwhile, Libya has celebrated 40 years of Muamar Kaddafi’s reign, putting him on track to beat Omar Bongo’s 41 year tenure and reach Fidel Castro’s 49 years in power. The difference between Kaddafi and Castro is that eventually the Libyan leader may turn out to be more successful than the Cuban leader in that he is managing to neutralize his Western foes, and control his domestic opponents, as suggested by Alessandro Bruno’s analysis.

Morocco’s Royal Institute of Strategic Studies (IRES) published a report in May 2009 on economic priorities for Morocco, which has not been widely discussed or publicized given the controversial nature of its findings.

The North Africa Journal : It's been a busy period for Al Qaeda Maghreb (AQMI). Its latest targets have been European tourists and two Canadian diplomats still missing, despite the release of their driver. These latest strikes occurred at the eve of regional summit on security and peace in the Sahel region.

Apr 10, 2009 - Abdelaziz Bouteflika wins his third term as Algerian president, with 90.24 percent of the vote. Basmah Fahim pf Reuters reports