This article has been taken from Menas Associates’ Algeria Politics & Security publication.

New evidence of the relationship between the Algerian regime and terrorist organisations — notably the leaders of AQIM and independents such as Mokhtar ben Mokhtar (MBM) — has come to light following the publication of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2010-2014 emails.

Of the 50,000 or so emails now in the hands of the US State Department, and made public by the State Department on 29 February, around 30,000 were posted on the WikiLeaks server on 16-17 March.

The most significant Algeria-related email is dated 17 January 2013, which was the second day of the terrorist attack on the gas processing facility at In Amenas.

It was sent to Clinton by Sidney Blumenthal who was a special advisor to President Bill Clinton and a long-time confidant of the former First Lady.

Entitled ‘Recent reports of French intelligence about the crisis of Algerian hostages’ the email talks about the hostage-taking at In Amenas led by MBM’s group.

It says: ‘According to a very sensitive source, individuals with access to the officers of the French foreign intelligence services (Directorate General for External Security – DGSE) working in Mali and Algeria during the hostage crisis of 17 January 2013 have said privately that the Algerian government of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was surprised and confused by the attacks.’

This is because: ‘According to sources with access to the Algerian DGSE, the government of Bouteflika conducted a very secret deal with Belmokhtar (sic.) (MBM) after the kidnapping of the Algerian consul tin Gao (Mali) in April 2012. Under this agreement, Belmokhtar would contrite his operations in Mali and occasionally, with the encouragement of the Algerian DGSE (DRS), attack Moroccan interests in Western Sahara.’

The email then adds that: ‘Algerian security officials fear that the attacks of 17 January (2013) could mark a resumption of the civil war 20 years ago are [therefore] committed to resolving the situation with extreme force. Their goal, according to this source, is to destroy the group ‘Signatories blood’, sending a message to Belmokhtar and his allies. The sources said the fate of the hostages is a secondary consideration in this decision.’

Another email from Blumenthal to Clinton, dated 19 January 2013, is entitled ‘French Algeria latest information,’ and provides something of a debriefing on the In Amenas crisis. For example, it is learnt from a source ‘with access to the highest levels of the Algerian army that the commanders of the Special Forces consider the mission [operation] a success.’

Above all, we learn that ‘the Algerian government planned to meet Belmokhtar again after the attacks.’ ‘At the same time, according to this sensitive source, officers of the Algerian DGSE (DRS) are looking to secretly meet Belmokhtar or one of his lieutenants in northern Mauritania in the immediate future. They have been ordered to find out why Belmokhtar violated their two year old secret agreement and launched attacks inside Algeria.’

The email adds: ‘They believe that this attack is part of a growing effort by AQIM in north-west Africa (supported by kidnappings), and fear that this is the first strike in a new phase of the Algerian civil war.’