|
something else to think about is that the french military's use of torture during the algerian war was not only ineffectual as an information gathering tool---it was a powerful mobilizing tool for the fln (who i guess would be "terrorists")---but it gets better: when reports about the extent of brutality of that torture surfaced publicly in 1957, not only did it contribute to the political crisis of the 4th republic (1958), but it also created a mass anti-war movement, providing it with the basis for a moral critique of the war and of the french presence in algeria. not only that, but the scandals created around the use of torture generated lasting political damage for the state--you can connect the conflicts the problems of torture created before 1962 directly to 1968--and it still continues to dog french politics today in a variety of ways--research the matter for yourself---this indeed was the gift that kept on giving---and in the main, people still dont really talk so much about algeria---it is a strange, touchy subject.
say the french government acted in algeria to protect families concerned about "terrorism" and to do this the army instituted a program of systematic torture, imprisonment without due process and in the end they got bad information, steadily intensifying opposition, increased casualties, mounting political costs until not only could they not protect the families they started out to, but they could barely extricate themselves at all. best of all, the political damage has never gone away.
__________________
a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear
it make you sick.
-kamau brathwaite
|