The O.A.S. killed France’s secret counter-terrorists by booby-trapping their own printing press

Evidence

The previous day Jim Alcheik’s printing press had arrived in a heavy crate; instead of a press, however, it contained a devastating booby-trap which Degueldre had devised himself, consisting of ninety kilos of assorted explosive, with detonators secured to the planks of the packing case by parachute silk thread. Alcheik hastened to prise open the crate; there was an earth-shaking explosion, and the three-storey building disintegrated in dust. Alcheik, the karate champion, was blown to pieces and another eighteen barbouzes died in the blast; two survived by a miracle. Hanging in tatters from one of the few standing walls was one of Alcheik’s M.P.C. posters, proclaiming: “Neither suitcase, nor coffin, but co-operation!” — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1503

Categorization

• XREF: The poster slogan ‘Neither suitcase, nor coffin’ prefigures the chapter title and the settlers’ final doom choice. — connects to: France deliberately sacrificed its barbouze operatives to distract the O.A.S. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1505; The O.A.S. terror campaign backfired and sped French withdrawal from Algeria.

Related

• France deliberately sacrificed its barbouze operatives to distract the O.A.S. (similarity 0.84)
• The sacrificial barbouzes served as a decoy that exposed the OAS (similarity 0.81)
• The O.A.S. terror campaign backfired and sped French withdrawal from Algeria. (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• France deliberately sacrificed its barbouze operatives to distract the O.A.S. #complicates (0.60) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1505
• The O.A.S. terror campaign backfired and sped French withdrawal from Algeria. #complicates (0.50)