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How to Create a Failed Arab State

[New York Sun] Youssef Ibrahim - In Algeria, they're called heittists. Out of jobs and out of luck, they are the thousands of men who spend their days leaning against the wall. In 1962, the Algerian people brought 132 years of French occupation to an abrupt end. But in the 45 years since then, the liberators have become the oppressors. A tiny clique of 1.5 million people now monopolizes 90% of the wealth of the country. After coming to power, those who fought in the hills - and from exile - immediately declared Algeria to be an Islamic nation of Arab nationalism and socialism. It was not. They then eviscerated French-language education but failed to replace it with an Arabic equivalent. Within a decade, the whole school system had collapsed, graduating illiterates who can speak neither French nor Arabic. Confident of its control, the ruling elite decided to experiment with the semblance of democracy in 1991. A somewhat free election was held, with the big winners being the "Islamic Salvation Front" - an offshoot of the genocidal Muslim Brotherhood movement. The ruling elite promptly canceled the election's results and banned the winning party. In the 16 years since, more than 100,000 Algerians have died in a civil war, shot by the army or chopped to pieces by jihadists with swords in the name of Allah.
2007-04-20 01:00:00
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