France helped Iraqis escape

The Washington Times ^ | 5/6/2003 | Jagrmeister

[jagrmeister]

The French government secretly supplied fleeing Iraqi officials with passports in Syria that allowed them to escape to Europe, The Washington Times has learned.

An unknown number of Iraqis who worked for Saddam Hussein's government were given passports by French officials in Syria, U.S. intelligence officials said.

The passports are regarded as documents of the European Union, because of France's membership in the union, and have helped the Iraqis avoid capture, said officials familiar with intelligence reports.

The French support, which was revealed through sensitive intelligence-gathering means, angered Pentagon, State Department and intelligence officials in Washington because it undermined the search for senior aides to Saddam, who fled Iraq in large numbers after the fall of Baghdad on April 9.

"It made it very difficult to track these people," one official said.

A second Bush administration official said, "It's like Raoul Wallenberg in reverse," a reference to the Swedish diplomat who supplied travel documents to help Jews escape Nazi Germany in World War II. "Now you have the French helping the bad guys escape from us.".... Full Article

[jagrmeister]

Pretty serious charge. I will reserve judgment until the facts come out.

[WoofDog123]

from the article,

"Britain, Denmark and Ireland are not part of the Schengen pact."

Last I was there (last year), denmark WAS part of Schengen, as well as Norway, Sweden, and Iceland (not sure about finland)....Britain and Ireland maintain a separate passport zone, but between the republic of ireland and the uk, as well as jersey and guernsey there are no passport controls. I don't know about gibraltar. In practice, border controls between Switzerland and the Schengen countries (meaning all of switzerland's borders) are lax at best, I have yet to be actually stopped in car across the german/swiss border.

[piasa]

Asked about the passports, Nathalie Loiseau, a spokeswoman for the French Embassy, said French authorities have not issued any visas to officials of the former Iraqi regime since the beginning of the war in Iraq, either in Syria or elsewhere.

How about just before the war?

[LibWhacker]

As I said on the other thread, it's time to break relations with these bastards and start aggressive military patrols, probing their airspace, borders, etc. Just like we do with all of our enemies.

[Teetop]

If true, the EU is going to have some serious problems with France letting the "riff raff" in.

[Kadric]

As I posted on another thread about this.

The answer is simple do not accept any French passports. Anyone traveling on one should be deported ASAP including diplomats.

[Paleo Conservative]

French government secretly supplied fleeing Iraqi cials with passports in Syria that allowed them to escape to Europe, The Washington Times has learned.

Here's an interesting related article.

France, U.S. back high-tech passport

As usual the French speak out of both sides of their mouths.

[AgThorn]

You forgot the best part of this article ... the advertisement at the end!!!

[MEG33]

ping

[Beacon Falls]

I agree, very serious. If this is true would it not seem that France like Syria should be considered for sanctions?

What terrorists have done all over the world and including 9-11 leaves no wiggle room for any crap or lip service from anyone.

[MEG33]

I really hope this is not true..

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ping list.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

France, that $h!ty little perverted country. It is getting close to giving le Froggies a well deserved 8!tch slap.

[nopardons]

It most probably IS true and fits France's MO, to a tee.

[fly_so_free]

I was just thinking about this too. It wouldn't be a huge suprise, if both Osama and Saddam and sons turned up living in a villa some where in France, or Russia or Germany, I don't think its too far fetched. (Either that or they turn up at Berkley as Commencement speakers)

[dfwgator]

France has some splainin' to do.

[Kawolski]

U.S. Troops have been ordered to use a black marker to revise their Most Wanted Iraqis playing cards by drawing berets and goatees on the men, mustaches on the women, and lots of stink lines for everyone.

[MEG33]

That will have to be an addition to the list.

[Yardstick]

Unbelievable, and yet so believable. Our friends the French...

[AmericaUnited]

We should impose economic sanctions on France and break the weasals once and for all.