United States: MPs Call for Sanctions against Algeria

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After the letter from Republican senators, it is the turn of members of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress to seize the Secretary of State to demand sanctions against Algeria for its links with Russia.

The anti-Algerian lobby in the United States is active through politicians, some of whom are known for their links with Morocco.

The argument is the same: the purchase of Russian weapons by Algeria contributes to the war effort in Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine.

Representative Lisa McClain initiated a petition addressed to Antony Blinken on Thursday, September 29. It was signed by 26 of his fellow Republicans and Democrats.

This new initiative does not reflect a dominant opinion in the United States. On the contrary, the insignificant number (27 out of 435) of representatives who signed the petition is proof that their opinion with regard to Algeria is not shared by their colleagues.

Parmi les signataires figurent Lisa McClain, Robert J. Wittman, Lance Gooden, Van Taylor, Buddy Carter, Marcy Kaptur, Joe Wilson, Jim Costa, Randy Weber, John Curtis, Daniel Webster, Don Bacon, Chris Stewart, Austin Scott…

The letter is a near-similar copy of the one sent two weeks ago to Blinken by  Republican Senator Marco Rubio , known to have carried out paid lobbying activities on behalf of Morocco with his colleague Ted Cruz. It would be the latter who delayed the appointment of Elisabeth Aubin as ambassador to Algiers.

Links between Algeria and Russia

“We are writing to you today to express our concern at the development of ties between the Russian Federation and the Democratic and People’s Republic of Algeria”, write to the address of the Secretary of State, the eight parliamentarians in their message of September 29 . Recalling that Russia is Algeria’s largest arms supplier, they point out that in the past year alone, Algeria has contracted Russian arms purchase transactions for 7 billion dollars, including the Sokhoi 57, “a particular fighter plane”, which Russia has “until now”, “not agreed to sell to any other country in the world”.

Like Marco Rubio, the eight deputies invoke the CAATSA or the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (law to fight against the adversaries of the United States through sanctions), adopted in 2017.

This text, they recall, orders the President of the United States to impose sanctions on anyone who engages in significant transactions in Russia’s military and intelligence sectors.

The authority to enact these sanctions has been delegated by the US President to the Secretary of State. For the signatories of the petition, the recent transactions between Algeria and Russia can be put in the category of “ significant transactions ” which fall under CAATSA.

“ It is urgent that the president and his administration prepare to sanction those who finance the Russian government and its war machine through the purchase of military equipment, ” they write.

For them, Russia desperately needs funds to fund the war in Ukraine, and President Putin’s decision to sanction the European Union by blocking gas sales has left Russia with little inflow. It is therefore obvious, they believe, that Russia will seek to sell more weapons.

Also, they ask Anthony Blinken to impose ” significant sanctions ” against those who, in the Algerian government, ” are involved in the arms trade with Russia “.

“The United States must send a clear message to the world that supporting Vladimir Putin ” and his war effort “ will no longer be tolerated,” they conclude.