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"It was all done in an effort to save France’s economy which was already stagnant and close to $100 billion dollars (70 billion Euros) in lucrative and lopsided oil contracts for developing the Majnoon and Bin Umar oilfields in southern Iraq."

I'm unclear on how the fake documents would have helped the French economy.

I didn't read all these details, but France's national interest lay in keeping Saddam in power and removing the sanctions. Isn't that why they opposed, even undermined, the war? I would not be surprised if France did a lot well before the war to try to prevent it.

I wonder why France signed on to UN 1441 in light of all that?

This is a long read, but I think the gist of it is that France had financial reasons to have Saddam continue in office thus NO war on Irag.

This does need to be investigated.

Jen

I'm unclear on how the fake documents would have helped the French economy...in the game of Chess, a Gambit, a set-up.

The Froggies, reveal the US copies to the UN, are fakes, thereby discrediting the US (thats why, US used UK's Iraq "White Paper", Traitor/Turncoat Wilson's Documents were "tainted" :) case for going to war against Iraq....preserving the Froggies' claim on Iraq's Oil Contracts.

I'm unclear on how the fake documents would have helped the French economy.

Let's see if I follow this. Fake documents postpone the war, negotiations follow, possibly leading to the lifting of sactions against Iraq, and then:

“French oil giant TotalFinaElf has exclusive exploration contracts worth €60bn - €75bn to develop the massive Majnoon and Bin Umar oilfields in southern Iraq,” said David Perle former US Assistant Defense Secretary before Saddam was ousted. “What’s distinctive about the Total contract is that it’s not favourable to Iraq, it’s favourable to Total.” He said oil experts who had analyzed the deal described it as “extraordinarily lopsided” in favour of the French company with the well connected Canadian shareholders. The one thing Perle didn’t know was that this very lucrative deal was contingent on UN sanctions being lifted, a move that assured Saddam a lot of support at the UN, especially if he was entering contracts with big payofffs like this.

Finally someone else makes the connection of France, Total Fina Elf, and Iraq.

France had a lot to lose if the United States went to war in Iraq. And it did.

France knew two things:

1)That the invasion would lead to an investigation of the U.N.s oil for food program.

2)Within the by laws, rules, and charters of the United Nations and agreed upon by all belonging to the U.N, all contracts made by a dictator who has been over thrown/ removed that are detrimental to the country of origin are null and void.

Total Fina Elf/ France stood to lose something like 4-10 Billion dollars if the contracts they held were voided.

They were voided.

The false documents were meant to discredit information that led to the invasion of Iraq. It was meant to help France regain a foothold in keeping the oil contracts they signed with Saddam.

France was and still is neck deep in this. The United Nations as well.

"I'm unclear on how the fake documents would have helped the French economy."

I am too. The "french conspiration" theory is...well, much too far-fetched to work here. Occam's razor goes against it.