According to these accounts, between 17 and 20 December Krim, Ben Tobbal and Mahmoud Chérif met lengthily in Tunis to decide the fate of Abane. Boussouf was absent, in Morocco, but his views were represented by his close ally, Ben Tobbal, who stated that there was only one choice—“death or prison”. Ben Tobbal added that he was not against death “in principle”, but that he would not accept the responsibility of killing Abane without trial. Krim remarked that, if prison were decided upon, it would not be possible in Bourguiba’s Tunisia; whereas, in Morocco, in the charge of Boussouf, “he would not worry us again”. Mahmoud Chérif protested that Boussouf favoured killing Abane; however, it was finally agreed that Abane should be imprisoned in Morocco, the ultimate responsibility for his fate in the hands of Boussouf, the hard-liner.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 715