Barbarism Alert - gas plant workers killed in Algeria

Barbarism Alert -
Algeria

An Al-Quaeda band of militants attacked a natural gas plant in Ain Amenas, Algeria, where hundreds of foreign workers were employed, and took hostages. 

The Ain Amenas gas plant, jointly run by British Petroleum, Norway's Statoil and the Algerian state oil company, is located deep in the Sahara, some 800 miles from the coast, with few population centers nearby.

As of this date, reports are conflicting, but at least 37 hostages were killed. 

Hostages surrendering to Al-Quaeda in Ain Amenas

Algerian Government officials stated that 29 militants died in the attack and three were captured. The group came from northern Mali and included fighters from all over North Africa as well as two Canadians, who managed to sneak across hundreds of miles of desert, across the borders of Libya and Niger before finally entering Algeria. 

Mokhtar Belmokhtar
the instigator of
these murders

A group called the Masked Brigade claimed the operation saying it was in retaliation for Algeria's support of a French military operation against extremist groups in northern Mali.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar, age 41, has claimed responsibility for this action. He says “We are ready to negotiate with the West and the Algerian government, provided they stop their bombing of Mali’s Muslims.”

Belmokhtar is a veteran guerrilla who fought in Afghanistan in the 1980's and in Algeria’s civil war in the 1990's. It was reportedly while in Afghanistan that he lost an eye, earning him the nickname "Laaouar", Arabic for one-eyed.

He is believed to have made tens of millions of dollars by kidnapping westerners.

Pray for those who have died during this hostage taking incident. They are the innocents. Amen. 

God save us from those who value religion and politics and money over human life.  They spout dogma and slit your throat at the same time.  Who, with a soul, does this? 

God help us all. God save us from the freaks.  Amen.