Jean-Jacques Susini

Jean-Jacques Susini (born 30 July 1933 in Algiers (Algeria)) is a political figure and cofounder of the Organisation de l'armée secrète (OAS), a millitant organization opposing Algerian independence from France.

Life

In 1959, he was head of the student association in Algiers. In January 1960 he, Pierre Lagaillarde and Joseph Ortiz were responsible for the journée des barricades ("day of the barricades") in Algiers.

In 1960 he was detained at La Santé Prison in Paris. In the prison he was visited by Jean-Marie Le Pen. He took advantage of his parole to escape to Spain (with Pierre Lagaillarde, Jean-Maurice Demarquet, Marcel Ronda and Fernand Féral Lefevre), where he joined Raoul Salan and founded the OAS with him and Pierre Lagaillarde on 3 December 1960. He was responsible for psychological action and propaganda (APP). After the arrest of Raoul Salan in April 1962, Susini became the head of the OAS for Algiers and Constantine. In June 1962, he brokered an (ultimately failed) agreement with the FLN. Beginning in 1962, he hid for five years in Italy under a false identity. During this time he was wanted in France for various attempts to assassinate Charles de Gaulle (in particular the one of 15 August 1964, near the "Mont Faron" in Toulon) and for his role in the OAS. He was twice condemned to death in absentia.

He benefited from an amnesty in 1968 by Charles de Gaulle and returned to France. In 1970 he was imprisoned for 16 months. In 1972 he was imprisoned again for two years. He was believed to be responsible for the disappearance of colonel Raymond Gorel (alias "Cimeterre"), the former cashier of the OAS. Again he benefited from an amnesty by the government by François Mitterrand.

He is a member of National Front (France). He has authored a history of the OAS, but only the first volume (covering the period May to July 1961) has been published.

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