Dossier reveals France briefed Iraq on US plans

The Sunday Times ^ | April 27, 2003 | Matthew Campbell

[MadIvan]

FRANCE gave Saddam Hussein's regime regular reports on its dealings with American officials, documents unearthed in the wreckage of the Iraqi foreign ministry have revealed.

The first Iraqi files to emerge documenting French help for the regime show that Paris shared with Baghdad the contents of private transatlantic meetings and diplomatic traffic from Washington.

The information, said in the files to have come partly from "friends of Iraq" at the French foreign ministry, kept Saddam abreast of every development in American planning and may have helped him to prepare for war. One report warned of an American "attempt to involve Iraq with terrorism" as "cover for an attack on Iraq".

Another, dated September 25, 2001 from Naji Sabri, the Iraqi foreign minister, to Saddam's palace, was based on a briefing from the French ambassador in Baghdad and covered talks between presidents Jacques Chirac and George W Bush.

Chirac was said to have been told that America was "100% certain Osama Bin Laden was behind the September 11 attacks and that the answer of the United States would be decisive".

The report also gave a detailed account of American attitudes towards Saddam amid anxiety in Iraq that the country might soon become a target of American reprisals.

"Information available to the French embassy in Washington suggests that there is no intention on the part of the Americans to attack Iraq, but that matters might change quickly," said the document from folders marked France 2001 found by The Sunday Times.

"According to French information, a discussion about Iraq is going on in Washington between [secretary of state] Colin Powell and the Zionist [Paul] Wolfowitz [the deputy defence secretary]. Powell was against a military attack on Iraq whereas Wolfowitz was in favour of a strong military operation against Iraq."

The report noted that "the Israelis have informed the French ambassador in Washington that they have no evidence of Iraqi involvement in the attacks".

An account of a meeting between Hubert Vedrine, the former Socialist foreign minister of France, and Powell after September 11 also made its way into the Baghdad archives. Powell was said to have disclosed that he would raise with Russia the subject of its "co-operation" with Iraq.

Powell, the report said, "is going to ask the Russian foreign minister how Russia could co-operate with a country that had expressed satisfaction at America being subjected to such attacks. He is going to ask for a new draft resolution from the United Nations security council on Iraq".

Bernard Jenkin, shadow defence secretary, said the briefings went beyond diplomatic courtesies and pointed to French "duplicitousness".

A report last night claimed documents found in the headquarters of the Mukhabarat, the Iraqi security service, showed that a representative of Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network had visited Baghdad in 1998. However, a western intelligence source said: "There have been contacts between Bin Laden's people and Iraq's people in the past, but fleeting contacts and we have never seen that as a strong institutional link. Even if there was a visit it does not amount to an ongoing institutional relationship."

At least 12 Iraqis died yesterday when unknown attackers threw an incendiary device into a Baghdad arms dump.

[MadIvan]

Caught you, you bastards.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[P.O.E.]

There were reports that back in the Blix days some Iraqi scientists were being told to destroy bacteriological agents hours before inspectors would arrive, leading to suspicion that they were being tipped off.

[Nita Nupress]

Good article, Ivan.

Be sure and ping me when the documents surface that show all the kiddies Saddam procured for Scottie Ritter.

[Dog Gone]

The French have a lot to answer for. Cloaking themselves in some sort of moral superiority in the opposition to war, they truly were Iraq's sluts.

[Dog]

French connection ping...

[isthisnickcool]

Well, well. I wonder how much of that "oil-for-food" money there actually was? Must have been a mint! Looks like everybody against the war was on the Iraqi payroll? Since this type if information costs money. A lot of money.

Strategery. Strategery. Strategery. Hit the terrorists and their supporters in the pocket book. Cut off their cash flow. Follow the money. You have to wonder what other information will be coming out as time passes.

The Bush family had always referred to their one son as "the smart one". That son was Jeb Bush. Maybe they were not right about that after all?

Great info!

[knak]

I just love all these documents coming forth lately. I can't wait till they open up the "American" box!

[Peach]

And to think we liberated these people.

[Davea]

Once again, IMHO, the intelligence treasure trove we have now captured was in itself justification for going to war in Iraq. It's like Christmas. All the info on all the connections between terrorists, supporting countries, institutions, individuals (France, Russia, Syria, EU, UN etc. etc, etc) is well...priceless.

[Nita Nupress]

I wonder how much of that "oil-for-food" money there actually was? Must have been a mint! Looks like everybody against the war was on the Iraqi payroll?

Has anyone started a betting pool yet on who'll turn out to be on Iraq's payroll? ;-)

[Khurkris]

Treachery, skullduggery, betrayal and buggery....SOP a la politique Francoise...

[Khurkris]

Damn French really piss me offf.....Cartman.

[Sacajaweau]

bump

[litany_of_lies]

I remember a story posted at FR that said the UN currently has $21 billion in CASH in the oil-for-food accounts. If anyone has a link, I'd appreciate it if you could post it.

[MadIvan]

The Scotsman said that $40 billion of Oil for Food money sits in a French bank at present.

Regards, Ivan

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Oh, thank you!

The Planets are shaking!

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[bert]

...Looks like everybody against the war was on the Iraqi payroll?.....

Dashle? Bill Clinton? How many Rats?

Galloway, Ritter?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

French Bank?

Arranged by Kofi Annan of course!!!

[backhoe]

I picked this one up, too- the email has been sent.