http://www.triotours.com/saharamissing The Algerian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has said he ‘‘will do anything’’ to save the lives of the 15 European tourists still being held hostage in his country.
Mr. Bouteflika, currently in Austria on a state visit, told reporters that the kidnapped tourists are alive.
He said the Algerian authorities were ‘‘even prepared to let the kidnappers leave the country if they would free the prisoners.’’
The president called the kidnapping ‘‘a painful experiece’’ for his country. He said the case had shown that ‘‘terrorism knows no borders’’ and should be fought globally.
The Algerian authorities are co-operating closely with German authorities to ensure ‘‘a peaceful ending’’ to the case, Mr. Bouteflika added. ‘‘We have put considerations of national sovereignty on the backburner in this affair,’’ he said.
No action would be taken without consulting the German government, the Algerian president insisted.
Mr. Bouteflika told reporters that the kidnapped tourists had traveled to Algeria in a ‘‘rather unorthodox’’ manner.
‘‘They ventured into the desert without specialist assistance,’’ he said. ‘‘That is a bit like simply taking a boat and setting out to cross the Atlantic ocean.’’
The president's host, Austrian president Thomas Klestil, thanked Mr. Bouteflika for his country's efforts to rescue the 10 Austrian tourists who had been kidnapped. The Austrians were released in an army raid on May 13, along with six Germans and a Swede.
The rescued Austrians will join the two presidents on Tuesday evening for a gala dinner held in Mr. Bouteflika's honor at the presidential palace in Vienna.