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Algeria Not Surprised By French Ex-General's Confession
ALGIERS, May 7 (News Agencies) - Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem has said he is "not surprised" by the admission of a retired general that French security forces tortured prisoners during the 1957 Algerian war of independence.
"We were not surprised by the contents of this general's book because we know more than is admitted in this book about the torture practiced against our people," the minister was quoted by the official APS agency as saying Sunday.
In his book titled "Special Services 1955-1957" and published last week, 83-year-old General Paul Aussaresses describes how he and his "death squad" tortured and killed 24 prisoners with the full knowledge and backing of the French government.
Aussaresses said the French government was regularly informed about, and tolerated, the use of torture, summary executions and forced displacements of people.
"What really surprises us is the attitude on the subject by a man who helped a State come and colonize Algeria in the name of civilization," said Belkhadem.
It was the first official reaction since Aussaresses' revelations were made public.
Belkhadem added that Franco-Algerian relations are "ordinary relations based on common interests and mutual respect."
The general's chilling account drew a chorus of outrage from French politicians, including President Jacques Chirac, who in a statement following the publication said he was "horrified".
He said the general should be stripped of his Legion of Honor, one of France's most distinguished awards, and called on the military to impose sanctions against him, while Prime Minister Lionel Jospin expressed "moral condemnation".
On Thursday, Belkhadem said France's Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine had made "unacceptable" remarks about the violence in Algeria, amounting to "foreign interference".
Vedrine had Wednesday told the French National Assembly: "The situation is once again very serious in Algeria: in Kabylie, around 60 dead, very young, added to the list from violence and civil war."
"We cannot remain silent in the face of such events and in light of the violence used to crush" the demonstrations, Vedrine added. His reference to "civil war" was to the Algerian government's war against Islamists in the country, which has claimed at least 100,000 lives since 1992.
Belkhadem said: "These comments are clearly in line with pressure from the usual advocates of foreign interference and intervention in Algeria's internal affairs."
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