The ALA (Anarchiste Libertaire Armee) is an antagonistic faction first encountered in Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, during the first missions set in Carthage, Michigan. The group is essentially composed of terrorists.
Background
It was first founded by Soren Masson in the mid 90s, associated with several rebel groups in Martinique, Cameroon, Senegal, and the Basque region of France. They made several demands on the US government, mostly dealing with alleged abuses of corporations operating in third world countries. It was believed that Masson's group had a falling out with the main ALA group, when they refused to make the Francophile's causes paramount. Their base of operations was thought to be somewhere on the island of Martinique.
Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
The group was firstly responsible for smuggling operatives into the US via the port of Carthage for a while, bribing the CHA Director, Richard Broussard, in order to bypass security checkpoints. Masson later went to the US to negotiate the purchase of the Omega Strain virus with Dr. Broussard, who had been promised a handsome amount of money, but the deal went wrong when the director refuses to continue the negotiation, after he had supposedly seen himself that the the situation was effectively out of control. He argued that the biological weapon had infected many Carthage citizens and killed some. Masson then loses his patience with Broussard and tries to kill him with a car bomb either in retaliation for refusing the deal, or to maintain his silence about the whole transaction. This triggers the assault on Carthage, where Masson deploys ALA thugs all over the streets to reacquire the virus.
Although Broussard was almost killed by the explosive, he somehow escaped unscathed and Imani Grey, who had been sent into the area with a team of IPCA agents in an attempt to find Mujari, ran off to pursue him. IPCA agents were dropped into the general vicinity to complete the mission that Mujari began - they neutralised the ALA threat while minimising CHA officer casualties and collected various samples from water sources.
Broussard is later caught by a ALA group despite Gray's best efforts to stop them. Masson orders that Broussard and Lawrence Mujari, who was previously captured when him was trying to interrogate Broussard about the outbreak in Carthage, are taken to him in a warehouse. He then tells Andre Proust to control the access to the sewage system in the subway. However, Proust is later located and killed by agents of the IPCA on Grey's orders. This allows Grey to continue pursuing Broussard without intervention.
In the warehouse, Masson shoots Broussard for failing to deliver on his bargain and leaves Mujari, critically injured, for dead. He asks if there is any word on Proust's end but Jean Fournier, the second-in-command, tells him the CHA was "more problematic than expected", adding that somebody's "looking for Mujari". Masson goes into a mild villainous breakdown, and tells Fournier that they are going to execute his plan to release the virus in the city of Carthage. Fournier was put in overall command of an operation to release the virus into the citý's water supply and Masson would personally take a viral bomb to the Carthage shopping mall. Fournier briefly protests that many people would die, to which Masson coldly replies "innocents die every day", adding that he "cannot change that now". Masson then sends Fournier to deal with the IPCA agents. Using a sniper rifle, Fournier pins down IPCA officer Grey, briefly interfering her rescue of Mujari, but a team of agents distract Fournier and kill him. This gives Imani the chance to evacuate Lawrence.
With his endgame breaking down, Masson stays inside the mall and pins down CPD SWAT teams trying to infiltrate, in order to stop Masson from detonating the viral bombs. The SWAT teams prove no match to Masson's marksmanship, and even smoke grenades are insufficient to obscure his vision due to his advanced technology, his weapons being equipped with infrared scopes that cut through the smoke. IPCA personnel were able to break into the mall, disarm the bombs and minimise SWAT casualties. Masson was eventually killed in a firefight. The remnants of the ALA were caught or condemned to death during a government crackdown.
Primary Members :
- Soren Masson - Leader of the ALA, also known as Hawk, Masson was considered the best sniper the French army ever produce.
- Jean Fournier - Second in command of the ALA , Fournier as Masson , is one of the best sniper from the former French army .
- Andre Proust - Third in command of the ALA .
- Jane Doe - A unidentified ALA soldier, result of a plastic surgery made by Dr. Fadhil.
Trivia
- The ALA was originally called the Quebec Liberation Army during development, with the Carthage missions taking place in Canada. This was changed due to objections from some Quebecois.[1]