Algeria Strips MP of his Mandate over Past Involvement in French Foreign Legion

An Algerian lawmaker was stripped of his mandate by parliament following revelations about his past involvement in the Foreign Legion in France. (Reuters)
An Algerian lawmaker was stripped of his mandate by parliament following revelations about his past involvement in the Foreign Legion in France. (Reuters)
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Algeria Strips MP of his Mandate over Past Involvement in French Foreign Legion

An Algerian lawmaker was stripped of his mandate by parliament following revelations about his past involvement in the Foreign Legion in France. (Reuters)
An Algerian lawmaker was stripped of his mandate by parliament following revelations about his past involvement in the Foreign Legion in France. (Reuters)

An Algerian was stripped of his mandate by parliament following revelations about his past involvement in the Foreign Legion in France.

Parliament announced in a statement on Wednesday that it had decided by a majority of its members to strip Mohamed Bekhadra of his mandate as deputy in a vote behind closed doors.

Citing a report by the parliament’s legal commission, local media reported that Bekhadra had served in the Foreign Legion.

The report, which AFP was able to consult, concludes that the deputy "was not qualified to run" in the elections.

According to the text, "the fact that the member admitted having served in a foreign army with the rank of corporal means that his loyalty is to a foreign state."

Bekhadra published a video on Facebook saying that "he had joined the French army to obtain his residence papers and finance his studies"

"I cannot be stripped of my mandate simply because I served as a military nurse with a short-term contract in a foreign army," he said.

“I turned this page 15 years ago, I did not betray my country because no law prohibits what I did.”

A member of the Algerian National Front (FNA), Bekhadra was elected deputy of the Algerian community abroad in the constituency of Marseille, during the legislative elections of June 2021.

The Foreign Legion is a unit of the elite and special forces of the French Armed Forces. It consists of more than 9,000 men aged between 17-39 from around the world. After years, the soldier could become a French citizen.



Missile Exchanges between Iran, Israel Turn Lebanese Skies into Aerial Frontline

Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP)
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP)
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Missile Exchanges between Iran, Israel Turn Lebanese Skies into Aerial Frontline

Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP)
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP)

Lebanese skies have turned into a daily theater of missiles streaking across between Iran and Israel, with the country’s geography making it a frontline in their aerial confrontation.

Missiles launched towards Israeli cities like Haifa and Tel Aviv must begin their descent trajectory over Lebanon, forcing Israeli air defense systems to intercept the threats near Lebanon’s southern and eastern borders.

Since Friday night, Lebanese people have witnessed a variety of projectiles, ranging from Iranian missiles and drones to Israeli air defense rockets, intersecting mid-air near Lebanon’s airspace.

Some fly in droves over Lebanese territory, others collide in the sky, while others veer off course, leaving fiery trails visible above the country.

Israeli interception launches come from multiple locations: the Mediterranean Sea to the west, the Golan Heights to the east, and central and northern Israel south of Lebanon.

Military and strategic affairs researcher Mustafa Asaad said Iranian forces have employed about 13 different types of missiles and projectiles in their attacks since last Friday.

In response, Israel is deploying five separate air defense systems operating at various altitudes.

Asaad explained that each missile type follows distinct flight paths and heights. Some travel at fixed altitudes, others maneuver to evade interception, and some even breach the atmosphere altogether.

This complex choreography aims to allow a few missiles, typically two or three, to bypass Israel’s air defenses and reach their targets.

Asaad added that Lebanese observers tend to see the missiles more clearly because they witness the final descent phase, when projectiles begin their downward trajectory toward targets.

While drones are rarely visible to the naked eye except when intercepted, Lebanese people in the south and to a lesser extent in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and Mount Lebanon frequently observe Iranian projectiles in flight.

Asaad explained this visibility occurs because these projectiles are often in their final stages, descending toward impact. “What we see are mostly medium-range missiles flying at altitudes low enough to be visible at night,” he said.

In contrast, missiles flying at higher altitudes become visible only during their final drop or when intercepted by Israeli air defenses, producing distinct explosions resembling stars or meteors. Missiles in these higher atmospheric layers are typically targeted by Israel’s missile defense systems.

In recent days, residents in southern Lebanon have witnessed several Iranian missiles descending in “convoy-like” formations toward Israel.

Some estimates suggest these projectiles’ warheads may split into two, four, or six parts when hit by Israeli interceptors, usually targeting the missile’s main body, creating the illusion of multiple missiles traveling together.

However, Asaad cast doubt on this theory, saying, “There is no evidence that Iran possesses such technology.”

He explained that the missiles observed in images are single-warhead ballistic missiles launched from a single platform, flying closely in a group along the same trajectory.

Asaad noted that Tehran’s missile arsenal does not yet match the sophistication of Russia’s recent systems, some of which were used in a major strike on Ukraine two weeks ago and featured advanced defenses like decoy flares designed to confuse air defenses.