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.

[Joe Boucher]

Can't wait to see the spinmasters tomorrow, and also can't
wait to hear Rush on Monday.
Tomorrow I'll try to read overseas papers and see how they react to this especially French papers.

[kcar]

Here's several:
http://www.untergeek.com/archives/000016.html

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/895707/posts
NY Times
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/758690/posts
WSJ

[Steve Eisenberg]

First I thought it was terrible that the coalition let all these files be found by reporters, rather than securing them themselves. But now I see that, even if inadvertant, it was brilliant. Coming from the London Times like this, the story is 100 times more effective than if leaked by Rummy.

Shame about the even larger number of files which were burnt before the Telegraph and Times could get to them. Can you imagine how many more stories must have been in there?

[Green Knight]

Ping Deux.

[edwin hubble]

"Years ago there was an acclaimed poster with the nic, "Nita Nupres"."

Uh...She's still around. There's only one.

[lawdude]

"...they truly were Iraq's sluts."

We should pull down the Statue of Liberty, just as we did the statue of saddam. The french are unworthy pigs.

[M Kehoe]

To: Dog

I guess we are starting to find out exactly why the French was so against us going into Iraq huh?

24 posted on 04/26/2003 4:02 PM PDT by Mo1

We ALL knew this before the first shot was fired.

5.56mm

[lawdude]

"I guess we are starting to find out exactly why the French was so against us going into Iraq huh? "

And dasshole, and klinton (both), and pelosi, and the dnc, and the media pigs. Any of the socio-commie bastards in the dem party should be tried if found to have taken one penny of Iraqi money.

[mikeIII]

There seem to be no depths the French would not sink to. We have to watch them closely, now that they have invitated the ChiComs to attend the G8 meet.

[Thebaddog]

Gotta firm up the money trail.

[Nebr FAL owner]

NO never ever think of pulling down Lady Liberty! ! ! Yes it was a gift from France but at the time France was a nation that still had HONOR now it is just another collection of vermin infested degenerates . Instead of pulling down Lady Liberty announce that France is a nation no longer worthy of being the final resting place for American war dead & that they will be exhumed & returned home to the U.S.A. Congress would find it hard to 1.) refuse money for the creation of new national cemetaries 2.)deny funds for the removal of our war dead from France 3.) It would an extraordinary slap in the face to France & every one in the world would know it.

[Minty]

Wow there is still justice under the sun. There is still truth. Thanks for posting this.

[BARLF]

Rather, GW is brilliant in a managerial sense, he gets together a great team and uses the strengths of all players. He is also poker player smart, he doesn't just rush out and do something, but thinks it through.

AND he doesn't blink!

[nicko]

roger, Ivan...don't usually get involved in these dialogues...but F the French...your comrade in arms...Nicko...

[the Deejay]

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

Me too! Ain't it just too fantastic the records they kept? Stay tuned, this is gonna get really good!

[lawdude]

"3.) It would an extraordinary slap in the face to France & every one in the world would know it."

No sh!t Sherlock. That is the entire point. What have they been doing to us the last couple years? They have been slapping our faces and the only ones in the world not able to see that; is US.

We MUST stand by our principles.

[isthisnickcool]

Now, now, the fact that GW is turning into a great President doesn't take away anything from Jeb... They are both obviously quite smart.

Maybe Jeb will go for the presidency someday?

[Savage Beast]

Les collaborateurs!

[wimpycat]

Les collaborateurs, indeed!

I propose we shave their heads and parade them down the Champs Elysees.

Isn't that what you do with collaboraters?

[Nita Nupress]

Years ago there was an acclaimed poster with the nic, "Nita Nupres". Oh how I have longed for someone to fill those shoes.

You're probably thinking of "Nita Nuprez." She used to be here a long time ago.

Crazy wench, she was. Good riddance. She and that #$^% leather whip of hers used to drive me crazy.