The Battle of the Casbah: Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Algeria 1955-1957

Rating:
Summary: Should be titled: "Diary of a fascist"
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: He's French but he's no wimp!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: candid report
Review: While horribly translated and filled with dull personal details this book is an unabashed report on anti-terrorist methods. It stimulates much thought on how best to stop terrorism. The reader can evaluate the brutal methods used in Algeria for himself and ask both whether they are moral or effective.