- Algerian authorities are protesting the recent United Stated decision to place the country on the list of the 14 countries whose flights and passengers would be subjected to extra security checks, foreign affairs ministry said.
Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci summoned the US Ambassador David D Pearce to protest the unfortunate, unjustified and discriminatory measure by the US government, a foreign ministry statement said.
Algeria said it had already protested, through the central administration as well as their ambassador in Washington over the measures, which subjects travellers from Algeria and other countries on the watchlist to special checks before they are allowed to enter the US.
The US stringent measure follows a failed terrorism attack by a Nigerian national, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, in a flight from Amsterdam approaching Detroit on Christmas day.
He is now in prison awaiting trial. Investigators said they believed he had been trained by al Qaeda in Yemen. Western diplomats say Algeria has effective security measures in place to try to foil attacks by Islamist militants.
Algeria is battling an al Qaeda-linked insurgency but the violence has subsided significantly in the past few years and officials say they have stringent security measures in place, especially at airports.
The 14 countries on the US list are Cuba, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.
Cuba and Nigeria have also complained about their inclusion in the list.
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