GIA- Armed Islamic Group of Algeria

Ngafla BakayokoYolanda Alvarez

Jimena Galdos

Terrorism The political use of violence or intimidation (The

American Heritage Dictionary)

“the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives” (28 C.F.R. Section 0.85)

Characteristics include:• Using weapons or performing random acts of violence• Part of a organization or act individually to promote and

ideology, either political, religious, or economic

Typical Terrorist Motives and Behaviors

POLITICAL: • Intended to cause political effect; eliminating stages of war and raising armies and

goes directly to attack PSYCHOLOGICAL:

• Intend to cause terror aimed at a target audience rather than the individuals in the act. Target audience may be the population as a whole, a specific portion of a society (ethnic, race), or political, social, or military elites. 

• Intended to cause destruction or widespread fear DYNAMIC:

• Demand change, revolutions, or a political movement. Seek to "turn back the clock" or restore some cherished value system. No act of terror is done to keep things the same.

COERCIVE:• Actual target of terrorism is not the victim of the violence, but the psychological

balance  Random to public, but strategically planned by terrorist/terrorist group Acts/ initiation of murder, arson, and kidnapping regardless of the

legitimacy of the government enforcing the laws.

History of GIA WHEN :formed during the 1990's in Algeria

WHY: The GIA grew out of a 1992 decision by Algeria's military government to cancel an election in which it appeared that a moderate, mainstream Muslim party, the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), was headed for victory

The backlash of canceling the election took many forms, which includes the formation of the Islamic Salvation Army, a militant group linked with the FIS

The separate and more radical GIA soon gained a reputation for mayhem and murder, targeting those related even little bit to the military and the government, as well as killing innocents and foreign nationals. 

Tactics include car bombing, hijacking, assassinationsand massacres After conducting brutal massacres over seas and within Algeria, support from Algeria and Al-Qaeda declined

GIA hijacking GIA hijacked Air France flight 8969 in 1994.

The GIA held captive 173 passengers, most of them were from France. They killed three people: an Algerian policeman, a Vietnam diplomat, and a chef from the French embassy.

After two days the France’s National Gendarmerie Innervations Group (GIGM) rescued the remaining passengers and the four armed militants were killed during the operation. Only 25 were wounded, one was a critical condition.

GIA hijacking continued GIA did this to force France to end its

political, military and economic aid with Algeria

France’s citizens, especially diplomats were scared to travel to Algeria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7a5D3sMJKM&app=desktop

World Responses French court sentenced two GIA members to serve a life sentence

after found guilty of conducting a series of bombing throughout France

Strength of GIA has reduced to 30-100 member world wide according to several counterterrorism organizations.

Continued attacks in Blinda Province, Algeria in 2005 where Authorities recovered weapons and explosives.

According to this information, it can be stated that the GIA plans future acts of terrorism

Citations Federal Bureau of Investigation. US Department of Justice. Terrorism 2002-2005. N.p.: Us

Government, n.d. Print.

Kirschke, Joseph. "Before September 11th: Air France Flight 8969." World Press. N.p., 11 Sept. 2011. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://worldpress.org/Europe/3807.cfm>.

Pike, John. "Armed Islamic Group (GIA)." Federation of American Science. Ed. Steven Aftergood. N.p., 30 Apr. 2004. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/gia.htm>.

Riding, Alan. "The Militant Group behind the Hijacking." The New York Times. New York Times Company, 27 Dec. 1994. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/27/world/the-militant-group-behind-the-hijacking.html>.

"Terrorist Behavior." Terrorism RESEARCH. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://www.terrorism-research.com/behavior/>.

United States. US Department of State. Algeria Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Rept. 2000. Washington: GPO, 2001. Print.

Vriens, Lauren. "Armed Islamic Group (Algeria, Islamists)." Council on Foreign Relations. N.p., 27 May 2007. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cfr.org/algeria/armed-islamic-group-algeria-islamists/p9154>.