ALGERIAN PATRIOTS - ENGLISH

Amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel — intensified by repeated airstrikes on Syrian territory and, more recently, within Iran itself — one of the most critical weaknesses in the Islamic Republic’s military posture is its structurally outdated air force. While Iran has made notable advancements in certain military domains, its aerial capabilities remain a strategic Achilles’ heel, especially in the face of a technologically superior adversary like Israel. A Technologically Obsolete Air Force Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent Western arms embargo, Iran has struggled to modernize its air fleet. Its current lineup includes aging platforms such as the F-4 Phantom, F-5 Tiger, and F-14 Tomcat (American-made), as well as MiG-29s and Su-24s (Russian-made). Indigenous efforts, such as the “Kowsar” fighter jet, have had limited success and remain well below modern standards. The key limitation lies in Iran’s inability to conduct Beyond Visual Range (BVR) engagements — t...

From a Naval Miscalculation to a Strategic Catastrophe – A Reflection on a Long Legacy of Neglecting Vital Interests On October 20, 1827, the Battle of Navarino unfolded in a small bay off the southwestern Peloponnese (in present-day Greece), significantly altering the balance of power in the Mediterranean. Yet, for Algerians, the true significance lies not solely in the military events of that day, but in the deeper question of how Algeria—then an autonomous maritime power under nominal Ottoman suzerainty—became entangled in a war that did not concern it directly, ultimately paying a staggering strategic price from which it would not recover for more than a century. 1. Historical and Political Context of the Battle of Navarino The early 19th century witnessed a surge of national liberation movements across Europe, among them the Greek War of Independence against Ottoman rule, which broke out in 1821. This uprising gained widespread support from European powers, who saw it as an opport...

After four controversial years marked by abuses and repeated security failures, the Russian paramilitary group Wagner has packed up and left Mali. This sudden withdrawal comes in the wake of intense diplomatic and security pressure from Algeria, which reasserts its role as a key regional power and a pillar of stability in the Sahel.   The Weight of Algerian Diplomacy Since Wagner’s arrival in Mali in 2021, Algeria has consistently and firmly denounced the presence of foreign mercenaries in a region it deems vital to its own national security. Algiers has made it clear that it categorically rejects the transformation of the Sahel into a playground for foreign powers and private military firms. According to Akram Kharief, a defense expert and founder of Menadefense, Moscow’s decision to recall Wagner was directly linked to the deterioration of Algerian-Russian relations on the matter, as well as the debacle in Tinzaouatène in July 2024 — a military failure that laid bare Wagner’s tac...

Amid the devastation of Gaza — battered by war, siege, and humanitarian collapse — a shadowy figure has emerged: Yasser Abu Shabab. Once a local gang leader, Abu Shabab now plays a central role in a controversial Israeli strategy aimed at eroding Hamas’s grip on the besieged territory. Yet his involvement also reveals a web of conflicting interests between Israeli intelligence, Palestinian Authority (PA) circles, and local criminal networks — all at the expense of Gaza’s civilians. A Pawn in a Dangerous Game According to a well-informed Palestinian source familiar with Gaza’s internal dynamics, “Yasser Abu Shabab operates covertly on behalf of Mahmoud al-Habbash,” the former Hamas member who later served as Minister of Religious Affairs and is now the religious affairs adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas. But this relationship is fraught with controversy. The same source adds, “Mahmoud al-Habbash has been discredited in Palestinian circles because of his known ties to Israeli intelli...

Despite the media theatrics and diplomatic posturing of the Moroccan regime, the Sahrawi cause has once again triumphed on the international stage, reaffirming that truth and justice will always outlive the illusions of expansionism and occupation. The 2024 annual informational report of the UN Security Council, presented to the General Assembly, has once again exposed the Moroccan narrative and effectively buried the so-called “autonomy plan.” The Moroccan permanent representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, responded with theatrical outrage, unable to mask the sting of a diplomatic defeat. His protest, thinly veiled in official language, is nothing more than a confession of failure — the failure of a strategy built on misinformation, manipulation, and the politics of coercion.   The Mirage of Autonomy Crumbles Before International Law Despite the illusions fed to Rabat by political sponsors such as Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, and Pedro Sánchez, the Morocc...

In recent days, international headlines have celebrated what is being portrayed as yet another “diplomatic victory” for Morocco, following the United Kingdom’s shift in tone on the Western Sahara issue. London, it appears, now implicitly supports Rabat’s autonomy proposal. This development echoes similar realignments in several Western capitals. But behind this diplomatic fanfare lies a stark reality: Morocco’s so-called victories are not achievements of principle or legitimacy, but rather the result of calculated concessions—economic, strategic, and political—offered to powerful states in exchange for their endorsement. Morocco’s Bargain: Trading Sovereignty for Support Let us be clear: what Rabat presents as foreign support for its autonomy plan is, in most cases, the outcome of transactional diplomacy. What has Morocco promised to the United Kingdom? Access to the natural resources of Western Sahara? Exclusive investment deals or security partnerships? The same applies to the cases ...

In a compelling op-ed published on May 28, 2025, in The Washington Times, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton reignited the debate over one of the world’s most neglected and unresolved territorial disputes: Western Sahara. With China and Russia expanding their influence across Africa, Bolton argues that now is the time for the United States to reassert its commitment to international law and democratic principles by supporting a long-delayed referendum for the Sahrawi people. A Frozen Conflict Since the 1970s Stretching along the northwest coast of Africa, south of Morocco, Western Sahara remains a non-self-governing territory—the last colonial question on the African continent. When Spain abruptly withdrew from the territory in 1975 following the death of General Franco, both Morocco and Mauritania moved in to fill the vacuum. In response, the native Sahrawi population organized under the Polisario Front and began armed resistance, with Algeria offering political ...