The Jailing of Ali Belhaj

"ALGIERS (AP) - Police detained a leader of Algeria's banned Islamic Salvation Front after he publicly praised Iraq's insurgency and condoned the killing of two kidnapped Algerian diplomats, a newspaper reported on Thursday." This refers to comments that Ali Belhadj made to Aljazeera about the murder of the two kidnapped Algerian diplomats in Iraq. I did not see the Aljazeea interview (I'm not even sure if it was aired) but acording to Asharq Alawsat Belhaj said the following

"I congratulate the mujahedeen in Iraq," Belhadj was quoted as
tellingAl-Jazeera, adding that the insurgency was "the only response to
theoccupation"by U.S.-led forces."By accrediting ambassadors anddiplomats in a
countrythat is under occupation, the government is onlylegitimizing this
occupation,which is unacceptable under Sharia law," hewas quoted as saying.
Police tookhim from his home to Algier's main policestation, El Watan
reported.

Belhaj was the most radical leader of FIS...he was also one of the least educated when compared to the likes of Abassi Madani and so on. Belhaj was imprisoned for twelve years and was recently released. It is people like him, I think, that FIS lost popularity and was outlawed; fanatics. He doesn't represent most of the FIS's former constituency or the Algerian "opposition" he's one of the loonies far off the scale. Belhaj excuses cold blooded murder in the name of "resistance"...that is jaded. I don't really object to him being detained at all. On the one hand, you have to say to yourself Algeria does have to a limited degree of "free speech" and Mr. Belhaj did not insult the president which has a mandatory minimum sentence of two years. So what did he do wrong? He violated the terms of his freedom. Those were, as Asharq Alawsat notes, that he would not participate in political life or make public/political statements. These were the same conditions for Abassi Madani. Madani makes statements though. He makes them outside of Algeria however. Madani is based out of Germany and makes his statements and does his wheeling and dealing from there. Belhaj however, like he did before his incarceration, makes his statements out in the open for all to hear and as loud as possible. His overzealousness is his main problem. So, this is good then, right? He can be easily "eliminated". I don't like Belhaj personally because people in the West hear him spouting off his hate speech and think Algerians all believe this way or even worse that all Muslims do. Not only that, but he also has the ability to rouse people, to the point of religious fervor and zealotry rivaling his own. People like him helped plant the ideas of death, hate, intolorance, and destruction into the minds of young men like Khaled Kelkal and other Algerian Islamists. So let's tell the first Moroccan that Not only those, but also young men in Europe, like the London bombers. They're dangerous for society. They've proved it time and time again. This is one dententionthat I have no problem with at all. Especially since he said his remarks during a time of national mourning for two of his fallen Algerian countrymen.

Edit: My uncle had an issue of El Watan newspaper (Algerian newspaper) with him in his car today and I flipped through it and I was able to translate a little bit of the French editorial about the arrest.
"Ali Belhadj is a man who should have kept silent, made himself forgotten, disappeared after he did so much harm to this country."
I couldn't agree more!