Rainbow Warrior row likened to Watergate

Press, 19 September 1985, Page 1

Rainbow Warrior row likened to Watergate

NZPA-Reuter Paris A report in France’s leading newspaper that the Defence Minister, Mr Hernu, knew in advance about the sabotage of . the Greenpeace Ship, Rainbow .Warrior, has shaken the nation with the Government again accused by its opponents of a Watergate style cover-up. Opposition leaders called for heads to roll after “Le Monde” said Mr Hernu knew in advance of the mining of the ship in Auckland Harbour on July 10 and that he hid the truth from an official inquiry that declared the Government was not involved. Mr Hernu angrily denied the charge. No service and no organisation depending on his Ministry received any orders to carry out an attack on the Rainbow Warrior, he said in a statement.

But Opposition leaders spoke of the possibility of a French Watergate scandal enveloping President Mitterrand, who said at the week-end the Rainbow Warrior affair was of little importance. “Francois Mitterrand has lied more to the French than Richard Nixon did to the Americans,’’ said Roger Chinaud, a leader of the Centre-Right U.D.F. Party. "This is worse than

Watergate,” said a prominent U.D.F. member, Francois Leotard. “In any democratic State a President would have to go (leave office) with .an affair like this.” .

“Le Monde,” which until now has been extremely cautious in its coverage of the Rainbow Warrior affair, said Mr Hernu and two other senior officers, one an aide to Mr Mitterrand, authorised or had advance knowledge of the bombing in which a crew member was killed. The vessel was to have led a peace fleet to Mururoa Atoll to protest against French nuclear tests. “Le Monde,” backed up by the satirical weekly, “Le Canard Enchaine,” which carried similar charges, said the vessel was sunk by two French military frogmen who escaped by air from New Zealand, one to Sydney and the other to New Caledonia.

It said three agents — now back in France — took the explosives to New Zealand by yacht. The New Zealand police said yesterday they knew the identity of one of these men and described him as an officer in the French secret service, the D.G.S.E. They said he was known by at least two different

names. Analysts predicted the revelations could place Mr Mitterrand in serious difficulty. He ■ had shifted the: limelight from Rainbow Warrior by visiting Mururoa at the week-end, a trip that drew applause from his critics at home but which was roundly condemned by South Pacific nations.

Members of France’s largest opposition group, the Neo-Gaullist R.P.R. Party, called on the Prime Minister, Mr Fabius, to appear immediately before Parliamentary committees and tell the truth. The R.P.R. senate leader Charles Pasqua, said Mr Fabius “made a solemn promise to shed light on the affair. His responsibility is in question, he must assume it and offer an explanation”. There was no official word from Mr Fabius’ office, but a spokesman said he would stick to his pledge to find the truth and take action against those guilty, if necessary. The Socialist leader, Lionel Jospin said members of the party should join ranks with Mr Mitterrand

against what he called unjust Right-wing attacks over the Greenpeace affair. Mr Mitterrand’s stand from the beginning was "clear, firm and conformed with our principles on the idea we have of France and its morality”, Mr Jospin said. “His indications to the Government ... were clearly to seek the truth.”. Mr Lange declined immediate comment on the “Le Monde” report. He said through a spokesman that his priority was to ensure a fair trial for the two D.G.S.E. agents held in New Zealand.

Captain Dominique Prieur and Major Alain Mafart are due to hear prosecution evidence at a six-week preliminary hearing beginning in November. A measure of the seriousness of the “Le Monde” report was that Mr Hernu broke his silence over the last few weeks. Mr Hernu’s statement said he “forcefully protests against the campaign of rumours and insinuations being waged against French military officials over the attack”.

He said the only agents sent to New Zealand were Prieur, Mafart and the three men who went there by yacht. The five had been named in a report issued three weeks ago by a civil servant, Bernard Tricot, after he was appointed to find out if there was any Government involvement. Mr Tricot did not mention a third team of agents and cleared the Government and the D.G.S.E. of ordering the sabotage. He said the five were sent to spy on Greenpeace because it planned to send a peace fleet to Mururoa. The sinking has not deterred the environmental organisation which said yesterday that the first of five vessels should reach the atoll by the end of this week. Both Mr Tricot and Mr Fabius have said doubts remain over the bombing and Mr Fabius threw the ball back at Mr Hernu two weeks ago when he asked the Minister for a further probe into the D.G.S.E. Mr Hernu, page 2 Police work, page 6