On the first day of a state visit to South Africa, Bouteflika said the world only seemed concerned about the effects of terror when it affected the rich.

Terrorism in Algeria had reached "unsuspected peaks," but had not sparked "the interest and the reaction of international opinion," he told South Africa's Parliament. An Islamic insurgency in Algeria has left more than 100,000 people dead since 1992.

"There is a double standard. There is no such a thing as a good terrorist or a bad terrorist," Bouteflika told reporters after meeting with South African President Thabo Mbeki.

"The question I'm raising is, is it a war against Mr. bin Laden or is it a war waged against terrorism wherever it is or whatever form it takes?" Bouteflika said.

U.S.-led forces are striking targets inside Afghanistan to force the Taliban rulers to hand over Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States. The U.S. has also called for a global fight on terrorism.

Bouteflika pledged his support for U.S. actions in Afghanistan.

"We are in favor of eradicating all forms of terrorism ... We also believe in the necessity to exert all kinds of pressure in order to obtain the explanation from all those countries who are safe haven for terrorists," he said.

But he said that many European countries are safe havens for terrorist leaders, not just Arab nations.