Comparing the War in Iraq to the Algerian War

During the 1950's and 60's protests were going on all across the world and Algeria was not left out. The French had occupied the land for over 130 years but after this time the Algerian people began to feel a responsibility to claim independence and move toward a sovereign nation without French intervention. The bloody skirmishes and battles that followed became known as the Algerian War.

The FLN or National Liberation Front formed in 1954. Small cells of two or three combatants began attacking French guards, stealing whatever weapons they could along the way. FLN fighters implemented many of the techniques seen in Iraq today including suicide bombings and improvised explosive attacks on French outposts. Like Iraq, Arab socialism became the underlying force behind the revolution. The FLN would antagonize imperialism wherever they could by attacking French occupation in the Casbah using what could be considered guerrilla warfare. But probably the most important aspect about the Algerian War that still holds importance in today's struggles in Iraq is the use of torture. Both sides used torture to interrogate suspects, and especially the French, who resorted to simulated drowning to get information from rebel fighters. President Bush has also admitted to such interrogation tactics in order to investigate terrorism in the middle east region.

By 1956 the French had put over 400,000 troops in Algiers. For years fighting continued in the tight alleyways and apartments that make up the Casbah. Eventually public opinion began to sympathize for the Algerian independence movement. At last, on July 1st 1962, 6.5 million Algerians voted on the question and by a landslide majority, Algeria was declared to be an independent country.

In Iraq, the fight is not between two clear cut sides but a clashing number of sects all battling to claim the right to rule. Still, warfare has not changed much in the middle east since the 1940's and if resistance pushed out 400,000 soldiers from Algeria, an overwhelming Arab majority may be able to do the same in Iraq. But again, warfare has changed just like the people have and since 9/11, public opinion has shifted from sympathy to fear when it comes to revolution in the holy land. Even now many want to see occupying troops out of Iraq, but unlike Algiers, the current guerrilla attacks in the middle east reflects darker intentions and not the courageous call to arms defined in history as The Battle of Algiers.

It's difficult to determine how long the struggle in Iraq will go on before a cohesive national majority rises to claim independence like Algeria did, but there are certainly more intricate details to go over when it comes to Iraq. For instance, U.S. occupation in Iraq does not represent colonization and is instead intended to cultivate an independent government for the nation. The Algerian War represented a coherent and valid struggle for independence from a foreign owner- something more honorable than today's terrorist climate. At the same time a lot can be learned from the Battle of Algiers and the many who lost their lives, on both sides, fighting for what they believed to be right. The Algerian War can shed a lot of light on the Arab psyche and how it plays out in today's world, but most importantly, it can serve as an example for defining the line between patriotic courage and fanatic terrorism.