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Friday, April 9, 2010    

Holder, in Algiers, signs joint security accord

WASHINGTON — Algeria and the United States have signed a counter-insurgency accord that included a joint effort against organized crime.   

Algerian Justice Minister Tayeb Belaiz and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder signed the agreement in Algiers on April 7 in another step to enhance security cooperation between Algiers and Washington, Middle East Newsline reported.

Under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, the North African state would help Washington on such issues as criminal investigations, prosecution of money-launderers, cybercrime and insurgency financing.


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"The proliferation of both terrorism and traditional criminal acts across national borders makes international cooperation essential to bringing to justice those who threaten our safety and security," Holder said. "Algeria is an important partner in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime. This treaty will help us ensure that terrorists and other criminals are not able to avoid justice by simply hiding evidence beyond our borders."

Algeria has been deemed a leading CI partner of the United States in the war against Al Qaida. Officials said under the treaty, Algeria and the United States would share information and retrieve bank and business records.

"The treaty strengthens the two countries' common efforts in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime by enabling the most modern procedures for law enforcement cooperation," the U.S. Justice Department said.

Officials said the two countries acknowledged that the fight against Al Qaida must be linked to cooperation concerning organized crime. They said Al Qaida networks have established strong links with organized crime to acquire weapons, explosives and illegal drugs.

"The proliferation of crime across national borders makes it essential that we develop tools for international cooperation in bringing to justice those criminals — including terrorists — who threaten our safety and security," Holder, the highest-level Obama administration official to visit Algeria, said. "This treaty will help us to achieve our common goal of ensuring that justice is done and that no criminal benefits by hiding evidence beyond our respective borders."



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