I originally purchased the book with the hopes of learning more about the French occupation of Algeria. I was not looking to read the memoir of an assassin and torturer. Although the book did not provide much in the way of history, it did provoke much thought about terrorism, colonization, and to what lengths a nation is willing to go in order to crush terrorism...or rebellion (depending on one's definition).

During the 1950's, numerous North African nations were granted independence from colonial rule, but France maintained a hard-line in regards to Algeria. After Tunisia was granted independence, nationalists throughout Algeria began to attack French citizens, properties, and government troops in the hopes of securing their own freedom. General Aussaresses was given the task of stopping the attacks on French citizens living in Algeria, and subsequently destroy the nationalists as an entity.

The majority of the book discusses how Aussaresses developed a program of executions, assassinations, and torture in order to stop the FLN. He discusses how his secret mission was hidden from the majority of the French populous and even from some major government officials. Then, the book abruptly ends, with out giving the reader a real conclusion. There is no real explanation as to what occurred following the departure of Aussaresses, or what happened to Algeria as a nation. Certainly an epilogue would have been appreciated.

Nevertheless, the book did provide food for thought. How does a nation fight terrorism? It would seem that Aussaresses would argue that we fight terror with terror. Kidnapping and summary executions solve the dilemma, Aussaresses would say. But with the use of these tactics, a different dilemma arises. Who is the terrorist when both parties act so similarly?

This book poses many questions. What does a nation do to fight an enemy that will indiscriminately kill innocent civilians (including women and children)? How do intelligence forces get the information they need to prevent further attacks? Do the ends justify the means? General Aussaresses attempts to answer these questions in this book and I think, does so very convincingly.

It's important to understand the context of the situation. French Algeria was a colony populated by a number of ethnicities. Many muslims were pro-French and wanted Algeria to remain a French department. In addition, you had a significant French colonial population, the Pieds Noirs (the black feet) that wanted Algeria to remain French. Additionally, there were groups that wanted independence - those willing to work within a political framework, and those willing to engage in terrorism.

Aussaresses and his methods (as described in the book) were successful in subduing the rebels. France voluntarily left Algeria. De Gualle made the decision to give Algeria its independence in 1962-- the French were not forced out. In fact, many elements of the French army mutinied against De Gualle as a result of his decision -- but that's a different story.

This book describes the means by which information was gathered and applied in order to combat a foe that was willing to bomb civilians, engage in what we now call terrorist acts, and could conceal themselves within the population. The methods included torture and summary executions. But these were not the only methods employed. What Aussaresses established was a process of intelligence gathering and the application of military and police resources to act on that information. He used torture in interrogations in order to gather information. Aussaresses used the information gathered from these interrogations to eliminate operatives, foil terrorist plots, and systematically dismantle the FLN. These methods succeeded.

I think there are tough lessons to be learned from this book. How are our intelligence and military forces fighting the war on terror gathering their information to prevent further attacks? Are America and its allies prepared to do what is necessary to protect our populations? Do the ends justify the means?

Those who consider the French to be wimps who have no idea of how to handle terrorism should read this book. General Paul Aussaressess will certainly make you reevaluate your opinion France and how its military handles difficult situations such as urban guerilla warfare and terrorism. General Aussaressess was placed in charge of destroying the FLN terrorist infrastructure in the Algerian capital during the critical 1956-57 period. As impossible as this assignment was, he succeeded in dramatically reducing urban attacks during his tenure for several reasons. First, he was not afraid to employ tough measures against his enemy, including torture, assassination, and summary execution. Second and more importantly, he developed a superb human intelligence network to tracks down and eliminate the FLN. Finally, General Aussaressess worked extremely hard to get inside his enemy's head to predict when and where that enemy would strike next. Whatever people think about Aussaressess's methodologies, he definitely comes across as a thoughtful warrior. Like a good detective, Aussaressess was a man who could think on his feet to solve problems. His experience demonstrates how one person can make a difference in a war against terrorism. I recommend this book to anyone struggling with intelligence and terrorism issues, from the police officer on the street to high-level officials in Washington.