Commando Delta

Organisation armée secrète (OAS) logo

The Commando Delta organizations were assassination teams under the control of the Organisation armée secrète (OAS) in Algeria during the early 1960s. The teams "interdicted" European neighborhoods by assassinating Muslims who entered. The Commandos Delta were organized by Roger Degueldre in 1961. The "Delta" signified Degueldre, a sublieutenant who deserted from the French Foreign Legion in 1961.[1]

The Commandos Delta were also responsible for the assassination of persons considered "soft" or traitors to the cause of French Algeria. Nevertheless, a certain number of killings were alleged to have been done by the Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (DGSE) security forces to discredit the OAS, carried out by the Service d'Action Civique or the Red Hand. As a result, it is not possible to clearly define which actions were ascribable to the Commandos Delta in the chaotic situation of the time.

Organisation

The Algerian War

The Commandos Delta notably participated in the following actions :

Several thousand murders of Algerians were attributed to the OAS.

Later use of the Commando Delta name

The Commando Delta name has been used in more recent times by elements of the French extreme right:

Sources

References

  1. Horne, Alistair (1977–2006). A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962. New York Review of Books. p. 483. ISBN 978-1-59017-218-6.
  2. Yves Courrière, La guerre d'Algérie, tome 4 : Les feux du désespoir, Fayard, 1969
  3. "GTD ID 197712020001". Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  4. "GTD ID 197712040001". Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  5. "GTD ID 197805050001". Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  6. Journal officiel du 8 Octobre 1980

Bibliography