Le Monde, February 14, 2011
A confidential note on file for investigation of Judge Marc Trévidic in charge of the investigation into the attack in Karachi, the magistrate could lead to new tracks.
Indeed, this document, recently submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the request of the magistrate, and that the world could see, the question of the degree of awareness of having socialists returned to power in 1997 on the dubious circumstances under which the sale of French submarines to Pakistan - the contract Agosta - had occurred three years earlier, in 1994, under the Balladur government.
But the judge believes that Trévidic stop paying commissions - 122 million - pledged to various intermediaries for the sale of submarines, was trigger the mechanism of the attack, who made eleven French victims in 2002.
"CONSEQUENCES DELICATE"
The note, dated August 29, 1997, is signed Pierre Sellal, then Director of Cabinet of Socialist Minister of Foreign Affairs (1997-2002) Hubert Vedrine. This note is addressed to his minister. "The Pakistani government has decided to launch a political offensive 'clean hands' who could have difficult consequences for us," writes Mr. Sellal. The case of the sale of Agosta submarines, which would be the subject of an investigation could indeed involve former defense ministers (Mr Pierre Joxe and Leotard) and Mr. Nicolas Bazire. "
Both Nicolas Bazire, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Edouard Balladur from 1993 to 1995, that Francois Leotard, Minister of Defence of that Balladur government, have actually had to know the details Agosta of this contract. Pierre Joxe, Defense Minister Francois Mitterrand (1991-1993), for his part in the process of the sale, agreed during his visit to Islamabad, September 24, 1992.
WHAT ROLE FOR THE LEFT IN POWER BETWEEN 1997 AND 2002?
far, and Chirac's balladuriens pass the buck on the record. Francois Leotard, Minister of Defence at the time of signing the contract, and Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, a member of his cabinet, have affirmed that Dominique de Villepin and Jacques Chirac, abruptly interrupting the flow of money from commissions paid to intermediaries, because they suspected a portion of these funds returned to France for the benefit of their opponents balladuriens had triggered the wrath of some Pakistani authorities.
The left has so far been little affected by the case. The parliamentary report into the attack indicated that in 1998, following a report, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Minister of Economy and Finance, and Alain Richard, Minister of Defence, pointed their concerns about the fact that management of Naval Construction (DCN), operator of the sale, was loss on this contract.
Alain Richard would also, in 2001, tried to cook the company's technicians who worked in Pakistan, even those who will be affected by the attack, two days after the departure of Mr. Jospin Matignon. The former defense minister has however assured that he had never heard of direct threats to these personnel.
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