“Al Qaeda is an umbrella and a ‘flag’ rather than an ‘organization”

Army chief of staff for a sharp response to terror, and says:

“Al Qaeda is an umbrella and a ‘flag’ rather than an ‘organization”

El Khabar, 1 october 2007

People’s National Army, general chief of staff, Ahmed Gaid Saleh held a series of meetings with terrestrial, air and navy forces commanders. The general chief of staff has highly recommended a “sharp” response to terrorism, highlighting that al Qaeda means nothing to him, official sources told El Khabar.
Just after the Higher Security Council convened by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika at the aftermath of Batna blast, Ahmed Gaid Saleh called a series of urgent security meetings, well-informed sources emphasized.
When addressing army senior officials, General Ahmed Gaid Saleh highlighted that “the kamikaze bombers are a new threat to be addressed”, however, al Qaeda means nothing to him; “It is an umbrella and a ‘flag’ rather than an ‘organization”, he said.
As for clandestine migration, Gaid Saleh stressed that it is the responsibility of naval forces. In his meetings with army officials, the general chief of staff tackled exhaustively the social, economic and security issues Algeria is undergoing.