The US takes a "soft" approach with Algeria
The United States has adopted a soft approach with respect to Algeria, an approach that was highlighted during the visit to Algeria last week by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Stephen Snyder, analyst in the international group ERGO.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/The-US-takes-a-...
During the visit, Clinton gave President Abdelaziz Bouteflika carte blanche with regard to two questions which are objects of contention, the danger of the upcoming elections being falsified and the Algerian support to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad says the analyst in an article published on Thursday in the online edition of Financial Times.
The silence of Mrs. Clinton, who was touring the Maghreb region to promote democracy and gather support for an intervention in Syria, about these issues was striking, notes the analyst, adding that the U.S. attitude is explained by the position of Algeria in the international energy market.
Amid growing fears about energy security in the United States and Western Europe, the growing importance of Algeria as a supplier of natural gas resources has strengthened the Bouteflika' government position about democratisation and Syria, continues the analyst, noting that Clinton's silence gives a signal about the priorities of Washington in its relations to Algiers, which is to find an agreement on energy at the expense of political and security issues. The Algerian government reversed its hydrocarbons law on foreign investment law in 2009 so that oil and gas companies have to be partners with Sonatrach which retains a majority holding in the company. President Bouteflika made a signficant speech on the future of democracy and the coming elections on the anniversary of the nationalistaion of Algeria's hydrocarbon assets.
Clinton is aware of the need to keep Algeria open to Western companies, the analyst says, recalling that Algeria is the seventh supplier of oil to the United States with shipments of about half a million barrels per day.
Algeria is also providing 12 pc of the energy needs of Europe through the enatural gas pipelines , says the analyst, noting that without Algeria, Europe would have to depend on Russian gas, knowing that Russia has never been a reliable supplier.Europe experienced a particularly cold winter this year.
The concerns of the United States about their energy security have only reinforced the strategic importance of Algeria and U.S. concerns were accentuated by the unacceptable foreign policy pursued by the Iran. America is definitely weaker on the world stage following itrs withdrawal from Iraq and its continuing battle in Afghanistan where it is sustaining casualties. America is to reduce its armed forces due to the economic situation. The has faced with neighbouring Pakistan and its confrontation with Egypt over the American NGO's betrays a growing unease with its relations with the islamic world where it is increasingly unpopular in some quarters. The inability to deal with the Syria crisis is also a telling statement of how America and the West's control of the world diplomatic order has declined. Russia and China are behind Syriaz but so is Iran and America knows that any direct military action against Syria risks a war with Iran which could spiral into a regional war involving Turkey,Lebanon and Israel.
The decision by Iran to suspend its gas deliveries to the UK and France has exacerbated the tension and further strengthened the importance of Algeria as a supplier of energy products, the analyst argues, noting that it is for these reasons that the U.S. Secretary of State has chosen not to pressure the government of President Bouteflika about democratisation and support for the Assad regime.
Both issues are now at the heart of the North African policy of the United States, observes the analyst.
Just hours after her stay in Tunisia where she has lavished praise on thet Tunisians for having overthrown the dictatorship of Ben Ali, Clinton had lunch with Bouteflika, the only North African autocrat who has survived the Arab Spring, continues the author of the article, which considers that the Algerian military machine will not let the opportunity escape to falsify the elections in order to maintain the status quo.
The silence of Mrs. Clinton, who was touring the Maghreb region to promote democracy and gather support for an intervention in Syria, about these issues was striking, notes the analyst, adding that the U.S. attitude is explained by the position of Algeria in the international energy market.
Amid growing fears about energy security in the United States and Western Europe, the growing importance of Algeria as a supplier of natural gas resources has strengthened the Bouteflika' government position about democratisation and Syria, continues the analyst, noting that Clinton's silence gives a signal about the priorities of Washington in its relations to Algiers, which is to find an agreement on energy at the expense of political and security issues. The Algerian government reversed its hydrocarbons law on foreign investment law in 2009 so that oil and gas companies have to be partners with Sonatrach which retains a majority holding in the company. President Bouteflika made a signficant speech on the future of democracy and the coming elections on the anniversary of the nationalistaion of Algeria's hydrocarbon assets.
Clinton is aware of the need to keep Algeria open to Western companies, the analyst says, recalling that Algeria is the seventh supplier of oil to the United States with shipments of about half a million barrels per day.
Algeria is also providing 12 pc of the energy needs of Europe through the enatural gas pipelines , says the analyst, noting that without Algeria, Europe would have to depend on Russian gas, knowing that Russia has never been a reliable supplier.Europe experienced a particularly cold winter this year.
The concerns of the United States about their energy security have only reinforced the strategic importance of Algeria and U.S. concerns were accentuated by the unacceptable foreign policy pursued by the Iran. America is definitely weaker on the world stage following itrs withdrawal from Iraq and its continuing battle in Afghanistan where it is sustaining casualties. America is to reduce its armed forces due to the economic situation. The has faced with neighbouring Pakistan and its confrontation with Egypt over the American NGO's betrays a growing unease with its relations with the islamic world where it is increasingly unpopular in some quarters. The inability to deal with the Syria crisis is also a telling statement of how America and the West's control of the world diplomatic order has declined. Russia and China are behind Syriaz but so is Iran and America knows that any direct military action against Syria risks a war with Iran which could spiral into a regional war involving Turkey,Lebanon and Israel.
The decision by Iran to suspend its gas deliveries to the UK and France has exacerbated the tension and further strengthened the importance of Algeria as a supplier of energy products, the analyst argues, noting that it is for these reasons that the U.S. Secretary of State has chosen not to pressure the government of President Bouteflika about democratisation and support for the Assad regime.
Both issues are now at the heart of the North African policy of the United States, observes the analyst.
Just hours after her stay in Tunisia where she has lavished praise on thet Tunisians for having overthrown the dictatorship of Ben Ali, Clinton had lunch with Bouteflika, the only North African autocrat who has survived the Arab Spring, continues the author of the article, which considers that the Algerian military machine will not let the opportunity escape to falsify the elections in order to maintain the status quo.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/The-US-takes-a-...