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Mauritania
junta vows hard line on Qaeda militants |
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NOUAKCHOTT(August
13,2008) -
Mauritania's new military leaders will take a harder line on al Qaeda
militants than the democratic civilian administration they deposed
last week, the country's new ruler Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said late
on Sunday.
Abdel Aziz, who ousted the northwest African country's first freely
elected leader on Wednesday, said in an interview it was "not
impossible" he himself would run for president in elections he
has promised to hold as soon as possible.
Abdel Aziz's overthrow of Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi brought
virtually unanimous international condemnation, despite support from
many Mauritanian politicians disillusioned with Abdallahi's rule after
barely 15 months in office.
Washington cut all non-humanitarian aid, including more than $15 million
in military assistance to an ally in the U.S.-led war on terror which
has seen a rash of attacks by al Qaeda's North African arm since late
last year.
Militants killed four French tourists and several government soldiers
in separate attacks last December, forcing the cancellation of the
annual trans-Saharan Dakar rally. A February al Qaeda attack on Israel's
embassy highlighted Mauritania as one of the few Arab countries with
ties with the Jewish state.
Abdel Aziz blamed Abdallahi for freeing suspected militants from jail,
and said he would clamp down on them harder.
"We will do what we did in the past ... we fought with positive
results. Whenever we find them, we will arrest them and bring them
to justice," he said when asked about al Qaeda.
President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, the long-time ruler who was
ousted by a coup in 2005 that led to Abdallahi's election, was often
accused of using the threat of terrorism to crack down on his own
moderate Islamist opposition.
DEFIANT ARMY RULER
The moustachioed Abdel Aziz wore military uniform and fidgeted with
his hands, appearing ill at ease during the interview at the presidential
palace in the capital Nouakchott.
But he was defiant in the face of international criticism, denying
his takeover was a military coup. He said he took power to protect
democracy by removing a failing administration.
His self-styled "High State Council" is made up of military
officers and has said it will appoint a government to rule Africa's
newest oil producer until elections can be held.
Asked if he himself would stand as president, Abdel Aziz replied "It's
not impossible".
Despite his leading role in coups in 2005 and last week, Abdel Aziz
said the next elected president would be safe from the army. "The
military will not intervene," he said.
Mauritania, a poor, largely desert country ranked 137 of 177 in the
United Nations Human Development Index, contains oil, gas, iron ore,
copper and other minerals, and Abdallahi's government signed deals
with foreign oil and mining firms, although oil production has fallen
far below initial targets.
Abdel Aziz described Mauritania's economic situation as catastrophic
but conceded he had no idea yet how to improve it.
"As time passes will we have a clearer vision," he said.
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