TEHRAN The publication of a book by French General Paul Aussaresses, the ex-commander of the French Intelligence Organization in Algeria, in which he has confessed to torturing and killing Algerian independence-fighters during the 1954-1962 Algerian War for independence, has provoked outrage in France.

Here is an excerpt of an interview conducted with Rashid Mosala on the book and its contents:

Q. General Aussaresses has confessed to the crimes he committed during the Algerian War. Have these crimes lost their importance due to the passage of time?

A. When France and Algeria reached a peace agreement, one of the conditions was that no war criminals would be prosecuted. But today this would be a violation of international law. The criminal should be punished. Crimes against humanity do not lose importance with the passage of time. France raises the issue of time, but has not yet stopped prosecuting war criminals from World War II. From a judicial point of view, French forces have committed crimes and should be prosecuted.

Q. Do you describe what the French forces did as war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide?

A. We have been using the term crimes against humanity, but in fact a real genocide has taken place. Over a million people were killed and many are still missing because of what French forces did in Algeria.

Following the publication of the confession, the French Communist Party officially asked the government to apologize to the Algerian people for the crimes committed by the French Army.

In his book, Aussaresses has disclosed that the French Army and government officials were involved in the torture and massacre of Algerian revolutionaries fighting for the independence of their country from France.

As time goes by, more aspects of crimes committed by countries posing as advocates of democracy and human rights are revealed to the world. The revelations prove that the ballyhoo raised by these countries over issues related to human rights and democracy in developing countries is not genuine and is only meant to protect their own interests.

In his recently published book entitled "Special Services 1955-1957," the 83-year-old general describes how he and his "Death Squad" tortured and killed 24 prisoners with the full knowledge and backing of the French government.

Aussaresses said the French government was regularly informed about and tolerated the use of torture, summary executions, and forced displacement of people.