France ‘has no case’

Press, 15 April 1986, Page 8

France ‘has no case’

By

KAREN NIMMO,

NZPA staff correspondent London France had “no case” for the release from New Zealand of the agents involved in the Rainbow Warrior sinking, “The Times” said yesterday.

It echoed the comments of the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, who said on a 8.8. C. talk-back programme that the pair would not be “released to freedom.”

Mr Lange also agreed with a French caller that it was unrealistic to ex-

pect France to keep the agents in custody. “The Times” said New Zealand had a “strong legitimate grievance” in its stand.

Most British sympathies would lie with New Zealand. These were partly on “kith and kin” grounds and partly because France’s action in sinking the Warrior was both "immoral and ill-judged.” Individuals could not be exonerated from responsibility for criminal acts simply because they were “acting under orders,” it said. “The Times" said on

the French side, they had accepted responsibility for the crime and had apologised. The agents had become “scapegoats” and that was “bad luck.” But France had to accept it was unrealistic to expect both an early release and the support of her European partners if it pursued the quarrel. Any attempt to use the “already severely restricted access” of New Zealand products to the Common Market as a lever would be “very illreceived ... especially in Britain.”