Replies

I won't comment on any involvement of my government, but French firms have already been found with their hands in the cookie jar in the past, like ordnance producer Luchaire in 1985, which did illegal business with Iran, at the height of the Iran-Iraq war.

I think the US forces should specifically mention what French systems have been found in the MIG (if any), so French authorities find themselves in a position to either confess or rule out any embargo violation. The same should be done for EVERY advanced system found, be it French, German, Russian, American, Chinese, etc.

If, for example, this MIG contained an electronic system that went into production after 1991, then my government would be forced to act and to punish the firm responsible for the sale (along with any officials that gave a green light to the sale). Even if the system was pre-1991 and thus could have been sold way before any embargo, its serial number should tell when the sale really occurred.

I hope there'll be a follow-up on this story.