Paris arrests 'used to seal Iran deals' (FRANCE, IRAN, IN BED ALERT)

The Daily Telegraph ^ | June 19, 2004 | Henry Samuel

[MadIvan]

France has been accused of agreeing to a crackdown on exiled opponents of Iran in return for lucrative commercial contracts.

Lawyers for France's human rights league, speaking on the anniversary of a huge police raid on the National Council of Resistance of Iran near Paris, pointed out "troubling coincidences" in the timing of the operation and a series of deals with Teheran.

In March last year, the regime signed a large contract with the French telecommunications group Alcatel for a telephone network.

In April last year Teheran offered the petrol giant TotalFina a £660 million gas fields contract. At the same time, a contract was signed with Renault to produce 500,000 cars over four years, the lawyers said.

Then, in June, police arrested 164 members of the Iranian opposition and placed 17 under investigation for having links with or funding terrorism. The authorities said they were looking for a link with a mortar attack on the office of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in Teheran in 2000.

"The public should ask itself why this type of operation [was made] at the same time as commercial contracts were signed with a tyrannical and terrorist regime," said Patrick Baudoin, a lawyer.

One year on, not a shred of evidence incriminating the 17 had been found, said Mr Baudoin, who will file for the case to be closed next Tuesday. The French state had "flouted the rule of law to gain from petro-dollars", he said.

• Robin Gedye writes: The International Atomic Energy Agency sharply rebuked Iran yesterday for failing to come clean about its nuclear programme amid suspicions that Teheran is covering up another site for developing an atomic bomb. The UN watchdog is expected to deliver a definitive report on Iran's nuclear programme by November.

[Desdemona]

Pardon me, I'm going to be ill.

Getting the bottle of Emitrol myself.

What's the use of a coalition if the members play by their own rules?

[Grampa Dave]

When there is a regime change in Iran and Syria, the French economy will roll over convulse and die a slow and horrible death.

Iraq and Iran have been supporting the socialist economy of France for decades.

[MadIvan]

When there is a regime change in Iran and Syria, the French economy will roll over convulse and die a slow and horrible death.

It's doing so already - the country is so bound up in regulation and taxation that unemployment is ridiculous and economic growth is dismal.

Regards, Ivan

[lainde]

bttt

[Grampa Dave]

"It's doing so already - the country is so bound up in regulation and taxation that unemployment is ridiculous and economic growth is dismal."

France lost hundreds of millions if not billions or so when their Uncle $oddomite was removed from power.

The Mass Murdering Mullahs of Iran have more money than $oddomite has had since Desert Storm I, and they have been shoveling money into the French economy.

When the regime changes happen in Iran and its puppet Syria, the sick economy of France will convulse and die. The German economy may do the same.

[RJL]

Liberal socialism always runs out of other people's money.

Chiraq has to keep finding new piles of other people's money for him, his cronies and France. It's seldom a pretty or honorable sight.

[Sal]

In April last year Teheran offered the petrol giant TotalFina a £660 million gas fields contract. At the same time, a contract was signed with Renault to produce 500,000 cars over four years, the lawyers said.

ROTFL. What's wacquo Jacquo going to do when the new Iranian government revokes these contracts. He just keeps getting the ground blown out from under his feet.

Syria doesn't have too much to offer, but maybe wacquo will be reduced to going there next. That would be hysterical. He has the Al Gore Magic Touch except that wacquo puts the whammy on countries instead of just politicians.

[GOPJ]

bump

[bert]

Mad Ivan... you're back! Woo-Hoo! Great to see your posts again. :-)


I'll second that exuberant thought!