"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."