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Ruling elite rocked by Sarko raids
The Sunday Times ^ | July 8, 2007 | John Follain

Posted on 07/08/2007 1:25:38 AM PDT by Cincinna

IN the latest episode of a saga that split France’s last conservative government and threatens to divide the new one, Michèle Alliot-Marie, the interior minister, is to be questioned over what she knew about a plot to smear Nicolas Sarkozy three years ago in an apparent attempt to prevent him from becoming president.

A retired spymaster, General Philippe Rondot, claimed last week that he had revealed to Alliot-Marie, who was then defence minister, the details of the alleged conspiracy to blacken Sarkozy’s name.

Loyal as she then was to President Jacques Chirac and the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, who both loathed Sarkozy, she allegedly failed to warn him that he was the target of an effort to discredit him.

The claim came at the end of a dramatic week in which a power struggle won long ago by Sarkozy over de Villepin culminated in raids on the former prime minister’s office and home, prompting speculation that he might be charged with a criminal offence in spite of his insistence that he had done nothing wrong.

The story has gripped France with its insights into Machiavel-lian intrigue in high politics. The conspiracy centred on false accusations in 2004 that Sarkozy, among other politicians and businessmen, held secret offshore accounts through the Clearstream International bank, based in Luxembourg. Bank records were forged to suggest they had received large bribes over the sale of French warships to Taiwan.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: chirac; france; sarkozy; villepin
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1 posted on 07/08/2007 1:25:40 AM PDT by Cincinna
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To: nctexan; MassachusettsGOP; paudio; ronnie raygun; Minette; fieldmarshaldj; BillyBoy; untenured; ...

Villepin, the silver haired, forked tongued weasel-in- chief under Jacques Iraq is in big trouble.

Search warrants allowed police to search his home twice last week, once when he was on vacation.

In case you haven’t noticed, Sarko plays hardball.


2 posted on 07/08/2007 1:29:40 AM PDT by Cincinna (HILLARY & HER HINO :: Keep the Arkansas Grifters out of the White house.)
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To: Cincinna
Very interesting find.

It's nice to see someone play the game like this.

I understand that in France the legal system operates on the Napoleonic code, and if you are charged there is a presumption of guilt. The trial is your opportunity to prove yourself innocent. This could be fun.

3 posted on 07/08/2007 1:37:47 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Zimbabwe, leftist success story, the envy of Venezuela)
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To: Cincinna

Whatever happened with all that money they found in Chirac’s accounts?


4 posted on 07/08/2007 1:38:22 AM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: Navy Patriot

“I understand that in France the legal system operates on the Napoleonic code....”

Louisiana’s laws are influenced in part by the Napoleonic Code. At times,lawyers from out of state find the entire system difficult to fathom.


5 posted on 07/08/2007 2:43:26 AM PDT by Mila
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To: Cincinna
So Sarko is purging his political enemies.

I wonder which side the rest of French elites are siding with. Does Sarko have a lot of allies there?

6 posted on 07/08/2007 3:00:16 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: Cementjungle
Whatever happened with all that money they found in Chirac’s accounts?

According to Wikipedia: 'After losing his presidential immunity on June 17, 2007, it is likely that Chirac will be investigated for receiving undisclosed funds from a cultural organization and storing them in a secret bank account in Japan. According to Le Canard enchaîné, the account was opened in 1992 and contains in the vicinity of 300 million francs (€45.7 million or USD 61.5 million).'

7 posted on 07/08/2007 3:05:27 AM PDT by Lucius Cornelius Sulla (A person who does not want the best for America)
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To: Cincinna
WOW!

You can't break the Socialist's power until you hunt down and crush the socialist elite.

Sounds to me like Sarko's taking them on!

WOW!

Now if only someone would start up on Soros, the ACLU and the DNC...

8 posted on 07/08/2007 3:19:59 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: Cincinna

Hillary is going to do this same thing to Bush and Cheney....and she will make up LIES that the sheeple will swallow.


9 posted on 07/08/2007 3:54:21 AM PDT by Suzy Quzy
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To: Cincinna

This is what Bush should have done when he took office, starting with the destruction of offices and equipment which in turn delayed his receiving the information necessary to protect us from the 9/11 assassins. Plus, he should have fired all of the US attorneys that Clinton hired, just as Clinton did.


10 posted on 07/08/2007 3:56:55 AM PDT by Texas Jack
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To: Cincinna

Very interesting. Thanks for the ping.


11 posted on 07/08/2007 5:04:57 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: Cincinna
"In case you haven’t noticed, Sarko plays hardball."

I like it. Go Sarko...

I understand that the French are upset that Sarko jogs daily (apparently , very un-French) and was seen wearing a T-shirt that said NY Police on it.

12 posted on 07/08/2007 6:08:12 AM PDT by blam (Secure the border and enforce the law)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

If Bush had had the stones to do this when he came to power
and completely expose the Clintons we wouldn’t be worrying about Hillary coming into power now.


13 posted on 07/08/2007 6:09:24 AM PDT by appeal2 (R)
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To: Cincinna

Wow. I hope Sarkozy is successful. While I suspect the motivation may be more personal, it will probably benefit France to ‘clean out the Aegean stables’.


14 posted on 07/08/2007 6:18:56 AM PDT by Tench_Coxe
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To: Cincinna

de Villepin was also a main player in the Rwandan genocide...selling weapons to the Hutus right before the orgy of killing began.

Le creep!


15 posted on 07/08/2007 6:59:24 AM PDT by eleni121 (+ En Touto Nika! By this sign conquer! + Constantine the Great)
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To: Cincinna

Who was responsible for the forgeries?


16 posted on 07/08/2007 7:02:51 AM PDT by liberallarry
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To: Cincinna
In case you haven’t noticed, Sarko plays hardball.

thanks, for the update.....too bad, Jorge B plays for the wrong thing (like SHAmnesty Bill for Wetbacks).

17 posted on 07/08/2007 8:48:56 AM PDT by skinkinthegrass ( just b/c, you suffer from paranoia, doesn't mean they're not out to get you....Run, Fred, Run :^)
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To: Suzy Quzy
Hillary is DOING going to do this same thing to Bush and Cheney. :/
18 posted on 07/08/2007 8:52:47 AM PDT by skinkinthegrass ( just b/c, you suffer from paranoia, doesn't mean they're not out to get you....Run, Fred, Run :^)
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To: appeal2

BUMP what you said. Unfortunately, the naive George W. Bush wanted a “new tone”.
The Democrats will laugh about that for decades.


19 posted on 07/08/2007 9:09:44 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Navy Patriot
I understand that in France the legal system operates on the Napoleonic code, and if you are charged there is a presumption of guilt.

Bullsh*t. France and French legal code have had presumption of innocence since 1789. That particular mischaracterization of civil law system should have been purged long time ago...
20 posted on 07/08/2007 9:21:07 AM PDT by MirrorField (Just an opinion from atheist, minarchist and small-l libertarian.)
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