Cameron pledges tough action
to root out Algerian terrorists

Speaking in the Commons yesterday, the Prime Minister said the world was involved in a “generational struggle” against Islamist terrorism in North Africa inspired by al-Qaida, and he vowed to show “iron resolve” in his response to the challenge.

The four-day hostage crisis at the Saharan In Amenas facility ended on Saturday, but Mr Cameron told MPs uncertainty remained about the precise facts.

However, he said the Algerian prime minister had put the number of foreign hostages killed at 37. Most of the 30 militants involved in the attack were also killed during the incident but a small number had been taken into Algerian custody.

Three British nationals were known to have died in the attack and a further three were believed to have since lost their lives.

Three of the victims have been named as 46-year-old security expert Paul Morgan, systems supervisor Garry Barlow, 49, from Liverpool, and 59-year-old planning manager Kenneth Whiteside, from Glenrothes, Fife. Colombian BP executive Carlos Estrada, who lived in London, is also believed to have died.

Mr Cameron said bringing home the bodies of the victims was Britain’s top priority but warned it could take some time.

“We want this process to happen as swiftly as possible but it will involve some intensive forensic and policing work,” he said.

Speaking about the response to the crisis, the Prime Minister said the international community’s action must be “tough, intelligent and patient” and combine a strong security response with political moves to tackle instability and resolve grievances as well as a long-term drive to counter the “poisonous” ideology of violent extremism.

Mr Cameron told MPs that forensic experts from the UK, US and Norway were working with the Algerian authorities to formally identify a number of bodies found at the site.

He warned north African states could become a magnet for jihadists, with reports of non-Algerian nationals involved in the attack.

“More than ever, this evolving threat demands an international response,” he said.

Mr Barlow’s widow Lorraine said the family was “devastated” by the death of a husband she described as “a loving, devoted family man (who) loved life and lived it to the full”.

There was some criticism from other relatives who accused British authorities of failing to keep them informed. Mr Whiteside’s brother Bob said his family first learned of his death on social media website Facebook, and were only later told by police that he had been “executed”.

The family of survivor Allen McCloud, 53, from Plymouth, said the standard of information provided by the British authorities, fuel company BP and recruitment company Orion was “very poor”.

Another survivor Peter Hunter, 53, from Durham, who spent days in hiding at a secret location at the sprawling plant, said the Algerian authorities did “a bloody good job”.

“You have a bunch of raving lunatics killing people randomly,” he said. “People laid down their lives for this.

“Everybody will have a different opinion about the army and the special forces but what they did for me – I have no complaints.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said that its priority throughout the crisis was always “the welfare of British nationals caught up in this terrible incident” and that it had always tried to provide as much support and information to relatives as possible.

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