Letters from the Front John Pezaris, Pasadena, California, 27 September 1997. KILL FOR GOD Excerpts from the Athens News, 27 September 1997, quoted without permission. Notes within square brackets [like this] are my additions. ALGERIAN FANATICS PROUD OF MASSACRES LONDON (Reuter) - The most extremist Algerian Islamic terror group hailed the latest massacres in the North African state as God's work and rejected all talk of a truce in a statement received yesterday. A statement in the name of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), faxed to the Arabic-language daily al-Hayat in London and Paris, declared: ``We are that band, with God's permission, who kill and slaughter and we will remain so until the word of religion has prevailed and the word of God is raised high. Let everyone know that what we do in killing and slaughter and burning and pillaging is close to God...'' More than 200 people, including many women and children, were killed in the latest massacre in the Algiers suburb of Baraki on Monday night. The statement said that the throat-cutting, pillage and abduction of women was a just punishment for the enemies of religion and[,] ``has the blessing of God[.]'' ``All these explosions in the backyards and fortified cities, and all these continuous massacres and blood-letting that has robbed them of their sleep while they wait for their heads to be severed from their bodies and their money and women to be taken, this all has the blessing of God,'' the text said. This, I trust, needs no additional comment. - pz. Next Letter, Previous Letter, Send a Reply, Start Again Copyright (C) 1997, J. S. Pezaris, All Rights Reserved.