Algeria Hands Over List of Suspected Sahara Kidnappers

Algeria has handed over to the German government a list of 40 names belonging to suspected kidnappers of a European tourist group abducted in the Sahara desert. According to an Algerian paper, the list was requested by German federal prosecutors in order to eventually issue international arrest warrants against the alleged perpetrators, who held the group of 14 European tourists -- including nine Germans --hostage for six months in Algeria and then in neighboring Mali. The hostages were released last month after concerted negotiations involving the Malian, Algerian and German government. Chief Federal Prosecutor Kay Nehm has already issued an international arrest against the leader of the Islamic extremist outfit, Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, believed to be behind the kidnapping. Abderrassak al-Para, as he is called, stands accused of leadership of a foreign terrorism organization and criminal blackmail.