Posted on 07/10/2005 7:57:51 PM PDT by Pikamax
Report Says Mitterrand Approved Sinking of Greenpeace Ship By MARLISE SIMONS
PARIS, July 9 - Twenty years ago, two French secret service frogmen attached mines to the hull of a ship owned by the environmentalist group Greenpeace as it lay anchored in a New Zealand harbor, and the explosions ripped large holes in it.
The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior before it could set off to protest French nuclear tests in the Pacific killed a Greenpeace photographer on board, provoking much embarrassment in Paris and the resignation of top officials.
Much has become known about the government's deliberate sabotage of the vessel thanks to the tenacious pursuit of the case by the French press. But Saturday, exactly 20 years after the operation, the newspaper Le Monde added another intriguing chapter by publishing what it called the account of the events written by the man in charge of the plan.
Adm. Pierre Lacoste, the former head of France's General Directorate for External Security, the French foreign intelligence agency, said in a 1986 report that he personally obtained approval to sink the ship from the late president François Mitterrand.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The sole reason why Mitterand was preferable to Chirac. He also got along with Ronald Reagan, despite the airpace issue when we bombed Libya.
FINALLY! Something I can agree with the French on!
No blood for nuke tests!
I french frogmen redundant ?
Anyway I never thought I'd view the french in a positive light but this is a positive event.
I=Is
@#$%#$%#$%@#$%@#$@#%@#%!
Right, something we can agree with the French on even though it happened maybe 20 years ago. Hehehehe.
Mitterand is roasting in Hell for helping to foster the Rwandan genocide.
Oooh the French were so tough going after a bunch of pacifists.
Can you imagine if the London attacks had been in Paris ?
France would have immediately surrenderd and Al Qaida would once again have control of an entire nation.
Yet nobody sinks the Sea Shepherds pirates.
Need to outfit a trawler like the old WWI German raiders, then drop a 5 mile drift net as bait.
I think so.
It's just like saying "French Frenchman". Just doesn't work.
All in all, France had a pretty crappy week, which delights me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.