Among its active allies in France the O.A.S. would have liked to number the Vincennes Committee. Formed in 1960 by de Gaulle's disenchanted one-time aide, Jacques Soustelle, the Committee embraced such disparate figures as Georges Bidault; Bachaga Boualem; Bourgés-Maunoury; André Morice; Cornut-Gentille (Gaullist ex-minister); Léon Delbecque (Gaullist "antenna" in Algiers, pre-1958); and Robert Lacoste. All were bound by a common dedication to Algérie française.

QUESTION: A provocative stance — why would a government official elevate a condemned terrorist organization to legitimate negotiating partner status? Worth understanding the political pressures behind this.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 1518