Smain Lamari | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Smain Lamari |
| Born | 14 June 1941 (1941-06-14) El Harrach, Algeria |
| Died | 28 August 2007 (2007-08-29) (aged 66) |
| Allegiance | Algeria |
| Branch | Algerian People's Army |
| Years of service | 1959 – 2007 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | 8th Infantry Regiment |
Major GeneralSmain Lamari (Arabic:إسماعيل العماري, 14 June 1941 (1941-06-14) – 28 August 2007) was the head of anAlgerian intelligence service, the Department of Counter-Espionage and Internal Security.
Along with GeneralsMohamed Lamari (unrelated to him),Khaled Nezzar,Larbi Belkheir and"Toufik" Médiène, he was one of the influential "Algerian Generals".[1] Lamari was close to Larbi Belkheir, now ambassador in Morocco.[1]
Lamari died from aheart attack in 2007, and was buried in the Cemetery El Alia reserved for high ranking Algerian officials, in the presence of PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika.[2][3]
Born in Ain Bessam (Algeria) in 1941, the son of a taxi-driver from the Titteri region, he quit high school to join theNational Liberation Army during theAlgerian War of Independence (reportedly in 1959). After a brief period in the police and marines, he spent most of his career in various Algerian intelligence services – the SM, DGPS and DRS. His photo was never published in the Algerian press[2] — the only photo available of Lamari was published by the MAOL opposition group (Algerian Free Officers' Movement).[4] In 1991, he ordered the arrest ofIslamic Salvation Front (FIS) membersAbassi Madani andAli Benhadj.[4]
Lamari was one of the Generals, along withMohammed Touati, who forced PresidentChadli Bendjedid to resign in January 1992, and who cancelled thelegislative election won by the FIS.[1] During theAlgerian Civil War, he became head of the Department of Counter-Espionage and Internal Security (DSI). He was in charge of secret operations against Islamist guerrillas and counter-espionage — a post which he occupied until his death, untouched by changes of government or reshuffles. In this capacity, he played a major part in infiltrating guerrilla organisations, especially theArmed Islamic Groups (GIA), and liaising with the French security services. According to Mohammed Samraoui, a former officer, Lamari declared, in May 1992, before several officers: "I am ready to eliminate three million of Algerians if necessary to maintain the order threatened by the Islamists.".[5]
Lamari's successes in the war against the Islamists included the elimination of the first core of the GIA (Meliani, Chebouti and Bâa Azzedine), infiltration of terroristmaquis (in particular inChrea), and the destruction of theFIDA commandos which assassinated many intellectuals, journalists and artists between 1992 and 1994.[4]
Rumors claimed that PresidentMohamed Boudiaf, assassinated in June 1992, had envisioned to get rid of Lamari.[1]The Algerian Free Officers' Movement (MAOL), an opposition group in exile, controversially accused Lamari of playing a key role in organising the assassination of President Boudiaf, and of personally choosing Lembarek Boumaarafi as the assassin.[6]
These rumors concerning Boudiaf's projects were shared with theFrench secret services, to whom Lamari entertained close links, especially withGeneral Rondot and theDST.[1] Among other contacts, Rondot had spoken to Lamari in relation with theMartyrs of Atlas's Affair. Yves Bonnet, the head of the DST, had required assistance against Islamic terrorism to his Algerian counterparts, and Smain Lamari was delegated byMohamed Mediene, in charge of the DRS, to be the French's interlocutor.[4] A legend claims that Lamari was the one who provided information to the French which led to the capture ofCarlos the Jackal in Sudan.[4] Beside being a friend of Rondot, Lamari was also close to theprefectJean-Charles Marchiani, one ofPasqua's men.[4]
Furthermore, the DCE, headed by Lamari, assisted Western intelligence services in the struggle againstAl Qaeda long before theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks.[4]
Despite Lamari's adamant opposition to the Islamists and his membership in theEradicateurs camp (Eradicators), he played a key role in the negotiations with theAIS, the armed front of the FIS, beginning in 2000.[2] He convinced Madani Mezrag's men to surrender their arms.[4]
Lamari's daughter, Amal Lamari, founded Pharmalliance SARL in 1997 (soon after graduating from university) and is its director-general. She received the 20,250 m2 (218,000 sq ft) site inOuled Fayet (near Algiers) on which the Pharmalliance factory is built from the government through laws meant to encourage investment, while her father personally received a 1,035 m2 (11,140 sq ft) plot of land in Hydra (a prestigious neighbourhood of Algiers) by a special decree.[7]
Smain Lamari was buried in theQuartier des Martyrs in theEl Alia Cemetery, in presence of most of Algeria's policy makers. Beside PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika, the ministers Abdelmalek Sellal, Chérif Rahmani, and Noureddine Moussa attended his funeral.[3] The President of the Senate,Abdelkader Bensalah, was also there, as well asAhmed Ouyahia (twice Prime Minister), GeneralKhaled Nezzar, former Prime MinisterMouloud Hamrouche, Issad Rebrab. Allegations were made that the IslamistAbdelhak Layada, co-founder of the GIA, was also present, as well as Lamari's boss,General Toufik.[3]
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