Algeria: Still in the Saddle

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Treachery last week ended the short-lived revolt of Colonel Mohammed Chaabani, 32. Guided by informers to an oasis where Chaabani and 87 followers were resting, government troops surrounded the overconfident rebels and forced them to surrender without firing a shot. It was one up for Ahmed ben Bella, Algeria's harassed Premier and President, who clings uneasily to control of his ragtag nation.

Arrests, dismissals and resignations were becoming a habit; hardly a day went by without some new police swoop. One victim was Abderrahmane Fares, a foe of the regime, who was interim President when Ben Bella first came to power in 1962. Disaffection reached into the Cabinet and was ruthlessly dealt with by Ben Bella. Out went the Minister of Interior, who resigned in protest against a decree ordering regional governors to bypass the ministry and report directly to the President. In Switzerland, Ben Bella moved swiftly against Mohammed Khider, the former revolutionary comrade who had fled into exile with a reported $1,200,000 in party funds. At Algeria's request, Swiss officials blocked Khider's bank accounts.

All this demonstrated that, though he is increasingly isolated, Ben Bella is in the saddle and means to stay there. As long as the army remains loyal to the regime, he probably will.