The leader of Algeria's main armed opposition group, now linked to al-Qaeda, vowed Saturday to continue with its struggle and appealed to Osama bin Laden for instructions.
Abdelmalek Dourkdel, leader of the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, rejected an appeal for reconciliation by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to end the 14-year fight in Algeria. The group must continue its fight against "aggressors" who have erected "artificial borders" between Islamic states, Dourkdel said in a note on the group's Web site.
Addressing bin Laden, whom he called "our dear emir," Dourkdel said, "We are impatiently awaiting your instructions and directions for the next phase."
Dourkdel was one of the signatories to a statement in 2003 announcing the group's alliance with al-Qaeda.
