ARGENTINE ex-dictator General Reynaldo Bignone has admitted that 8,000 people were kidnapped and killed during the 1976-83 military regime, and said the church leadership had given its approval to torture practices. In an interview published today in Pagina 12, Bignone said French instructors had taught Argentina's military how to kidnap and torture suspected opponents of the regime, and how to secretly execute them.
Bignone said the ruling junta had asked Roman Catholic bishops in Argentina about the use of torture, and were told that it was permissible under certain circumstances. The interview was secretly filmed by French journalist Marie-Monique Robin, who was working on a documentary.
The regime's brutal repression of opponents was modelled directly on the Battle of Algiers, he said. French instructors gave conferences and consultations on how to carry out the strategy. rest of story
A vendor shows off his wares at a truffle market in France. Experts say this year's harvest of truffles in France has been devastated by the summer's heatwave and drought and looks unlikely to recover for at least the next two years(AFP/File/Michel Gangne)