This was a lapidary and admirable code of conduct that was to become a major bone of contention with the army as the years went by; however, early in Soustelle's term of office he was virtually short-circuited by “Babar” Cherrière, the military commander already under notice. On 14 May he sent this crucial signal to his subordinate in the Constantine area, General Allard: “I delegate you powers to decide, depending circumstances, employment machine-guns, rockets and bombs, on bands in new rebellion zone. Collective responsibility to be vigorously applied. There will be no written instruction given by the Governor [author's italics].”

QUESTION: Why was the instruction deliberately not written down? Was this to shield the Governor from accountability, or standard colonial practice for such operations?

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 357