| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Europe | |
| Mercs go free as Judge denounces Chirac | |
| 2006-06-21 | |
| COVERT attempts by President Chirac to exert influence over Africa were exposed by a French court yesterday, when it denounced his secret services for conniving with a band of mercenaries in a coup in the tiny Comoros Islands. In a damning ruling, the Paris Criminal Tribunal said that the French authorities had given at least tacit approval to the 1995 coup led by Bob Denard, the best-known French soldier of fortune. The judgment came as Denard, now 77, and 26 other defendants were found guilty of criminal association in connection with a military operation to oust Said Mohamed Djohar, the Comoros President, 11 years ago. The court refused a prosecution demand to jail the plotters and instead handed out suspended sentences after hearing them claim that they were acting with the backing of M ChiracÂ’s Government.
“It is clear that the French secret services knew of the plan for a coup d’état conceived by Robert Denard, both its preparation and execution,” the court said. “It is also evident that at the very least they did nothing to hinder it and that they therefore allowed it to reach its conclusion. As a consequence, that means political leaders must also have wanted it.” Denard led 30 mercenaries who landed on the Indian Ocean islands in rubber dinghies on September 27, 1995, and captured M Djohar in his palace. A week later M Chirac sent a 600-man force that put down the putsch but did not restore M Djohar to power. Denard has Alzheimer’s disease and attended only the first day of the three-week trial in February. But in testimony read to the court, he said that he “never for one moment believed he was acting against the interests of my country — quite the contrary.”Maître Elie Hatem, Denard’s lawyer, said that the coup — codenamed “Eskazi” — was “controlled by French politicians. It was a pretext for France to intervene and get rid of a president.” Denard, one of France’s most colourful figures, spent 30 years in Africa’s battlefields, where he was often suspected of acting on behalf of the French authorities. He was involved in a total of four coups or attempted coups in Comoros Islands after they won independence from France in 1975. In that year he helped to overthrow Ahmed Abdallah, the country’s first president, before restoring him to power in 1978. In 1989 M Abdallah was assassinated in suspicious circumstances. Denard was tried for the murder in France ten years later but acquitted for lack of evidence. Denard, who was born Gilbert Bourgeaud, married seven times and fathered eight children. Among the 26 others who were convicted yesterday were his long-serving lieutenants, Jean-Paul Guerrier, 55, also known as Captain Slam, and Dominique Malcrino, 54, or Commandant Marques. Four were exempted from any sentence and the rest given suspended jail terms of up to four years. Maître Said Larifou, the lawyer representing M Djohar’s family, said that the Comoran people would feel insulted by the failure to imprison any of the defendants. In the 30 years since independence the Comoros islands have endured 19 coups or attempted coups. Colonel Bob Denard, a French mercenary whose real name is Gilbert Bourgeaud, was behind four of the most significant:
| |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #16 They are French, Frank dear. If they cannot themselves cook, they'll certainly appreciate one who can. And I'm glad the breed is still used as working dogs, out of the limelight. I wouldn't have thought shelties were good at chess though, 6 -- one of the smartest breeds, but surely too high-energy to sit still for long? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-21 22:20 |
| #15 can they cook? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-06-21 20:49 |
| #14 A standard poodle in big hair is something to see. Swim like a fish, bite like a croc and beat the hell out of the shelties in chess. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-06-21 20:28 |
| #13 Poodles are very nice dogs. The breed has gotten a bad rep because of their inbred cousins the toy poodles, which are brain damaged. But full-sized poodles are intelligent, friendly, disciplined, and just generally very nice dogs. And one demonstration of that is that they don't kill their owners if the owner gives them a poofy hair cut. --Steve Den Beste |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-06-21 18:23 |
| #12 "They have been overbred in the last century, though." Somewhat. But you can still find reputable breeders producing Standard Poodles. They're big dogs, and they love to hunt. -M |
| Posted by: Manolo 2006-06-21 18:16 |
| #11 They have been overbred in the last century .. from hunting companion to fashion accessory. Just like the French! :-) |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-06-21 17:26 |
| #10 If I recall correctly, poodles were originally bred to be hunting dogs. Water birds and such, I think. They have been overbred in the last century, though. What a comedown -- from hunting companion to fashion accessory. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-21 17:10 |
| #9 Poodles can be very vicious. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-06-21 16:27 |
| #8 Mike Denard has AlzheimerÂ’s disease and attended only the first day of the three-week trial in February. /Boot's off after all. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-06-21 15:44 |
| #7 Let loose the Poodles of War. LOL! |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-06-21 15:44 |
| #6 Bob: Congrats on your suspended sentence. Drop on over for a bring & brai, we'll uncork a few Castles and throw on some lovely prawns. There's much werk to be done in up in Rhodesia you know. Die uwe, Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Hoare 2006-06-21 12:54 |
| #5 I think the comment should read - Let loose the Poodles of War. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-06-21 12:22 |
| #4 Whoops, I meant 2 matches! |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2006-06-21 11:26 |
| #3 Listen, there are other, more pressing problems, such as France's failure to beat Switzerland or South Korea in the World Cup. And 1 goal over 3 matches! Quel horreur! |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2006-06-21 11:26 |
| #2 Chuck Taylor or Jacques? Your choice, Ms. del Ponte. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-06-21 10:17 |
| #1 Chirac indicted by the Belgians in 3,2,1. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-06-21 10:14 |