French general 'has no regrets over murder of war prisoners'

A retired French general told a court yesterday that he had no regrets about torturing and murdering prisoners during the Algerian war of independence.

Paul Aussaresses, 83, went on trial in Paris for allegedly "condoning war crimes" in a book of memoirs, which he published earlier this year.

In his book, and in a series of interviews, General Aussaresses said he ordered the torture of suspects for "patriotic" reasons to save the lives of innocent people, threatened by terrorism. In an interview published yesterday, he said: "If I had [Osama] bin Laden in my hands, I would do it all again without hesitation."

On the first day of his three-day trial – alongside two publishing executives – the highly decorated one-eyed general denied that this amounted to condoning torture or war crimes. "I didn't enjoy it, all that. It gave me no pleasure," he said.

He said he had written the book from a sense of "duty" to posterity to explain what really happened during the colonial war of 1954-1962. "There is a duty of silence, which can sometimes be a cover for cowardice, and there is also a duty to tell one's story," the general said.

He also repeated earlier allegations that the systematic use of torture and assassinations against militant independence groups was condoned by the French government of the time.

The general's book – Special Services in Algeria 1955-57 – caused consternation in France when it was published last year.

Two amnesties passed by the French parliament meant it was not possible to try General Aussaresses for his actions during the war but he has been accused under a century-old law of writing a book condoning crimes. Another court will decide next month whether, despite the amnesties, he should be tried for crimes against humanity.