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Former U.S. Ambassdor to the U.N. John Bolton on the latest on the terrorist attack in Algeria.
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Right our top story tonight is the frightening situation in southern Algeria.
Where a botched attempt to free hostages from the -- natural gas complex -- turned deadly.
An Algerian security source tells Reuters thirty hostages have been killed including seven foreigners to Japanese to Britain's one French national.
Seven Americans are still missing in the White House is saying that some are still not accounted for Fox News -- has learned.
But to Americans are on their way to London.
BP is now pulling its nonessential personnel out of Algeria -- details obviously -- still very fluid.
There's a lot of conflicting reports out there is appear to help us sort it all out is John -- He's also Fox News contributor.
-- start out what can you just put this in perspective for us how big of a deal is -- to the US.
Well I think we should considered very significantly.
Even though it's in Algeria a long way away when you combine it with the hostilities in Mali the fact that al-Qaeda in the Islamic my -- has carved out an area of the space of Texas in Mali.
He uses a sanctuary.
And and like it as well -- they tragedy and -- Ghazi on September the eleventh when four American diplomats.
Were killed and there's been no retaliation by the United States.
This is a a -- confluence of events that I think should indicate that the war on terror is very much alive has a lot of implications.
For us for our European allies and for the Middle East and it's all very bad news.
When you combine this with what happened in -- -- does that tell you that this war is escalating.
Well I think it I think it is I mean what's significant here in Algeria.
Is that they took a substantial number of foreign hostages and as you rightly say that the and they were prepared to attack economic targets this and I natural gas facility looking at the oil.
Drilling operations -- -- this is a huge part of the Algerian economy and if that's now vulnerable if oil and gas facilities throughout the Middle -- are vulnerable.
This is something of potential real significance.
Although -- covered energy for a long time and oil installations are you know generally tend to be hot spots all around the world might feel like they're always at target.
Why in this case do you think that they targeted this facility vs may be -- embassy.
Well it that there are always potential targets but they haven't been in the Persian gulf region in -- and in other places even even and Libya during the course of the Africa overthrow Gadhafi.
I think Algeria had look like at -- relative calm but let's be clear radical islamists -- have been.
Problem and Algeria for a long time they won an election twenty years ago the military brutally suppressed it killing maybe a 100000.
Dead people.
So I think striking now and part to take advantage of the that French attacks in Molly but but to show that they've got this capability.
Is a real signal two Europeans then in North Africa and and really around the region.
And there's another piece of the puzzle in Algeria as well right because one of the problems is that they're allowing their air space to being used by France in this.
I it it in this attack and -- and mean is that part of the problem here and and one of the reasons they're in Algeria.
Well both Algerian -- former French colonies lot of hostility to the French and and I think what it shows is that the affiliated groups with al-Qaeda are I'd do operate with some degree -- -- autonomy I think this particular attack was probably.
Planned before the French began operations in -- -- but I think there are opportunistic enough.
To take advantage of it.
And link the two and time again and I think the you know in particular.
We ought to be prepared for more bad news out of this British prime minister David Cameron had a big speech in the Netherlands tomorrow in the UK's role in Europe.
He's canceled that because they're worried about.
The circumstances -- so I think this was a pretty Graham operation what do you think is the US's role in this particular situation going forward I mean it is not our fight at the same time there are Americans there are no we put up a drone over the areas that we could see what's going on -- what do you think American forces should be doing from here or the president.
Well I think we've got will acknowledge the war on terror is not over.
Al-Qaeda has not been defeated it in and it -- the situation and -- is one thing the situation in Algeria is another I'm not saying we have to be involved in each and every one but I think our responsibility.
From the point of view of American national interest is to connect the dots.
This is part of a pattern and I think we need to work with our European allies I think we have to.
Get our heads around the fact in Washington that the war on terror continues al-Qaeda has not been defeated so wonderful that Osama bin Laden is dead.
But the threat of international terrorism the war there conducting against us goes on is alive and well ambassador Bolton thank you so much for your perspective.
Thank you time.
