Honouring agents ‘perverse logic’

Press, 24 February 1987, Page 34

Honouring agents ‘perverse logic’

NZPA-Reuter London Greenpeace, the environmentalist pressure group whose photographer was killed when French agents blew up their protest ship in Auckland Harbour, has criticised France for considering decorating the agents Involved. In a letter to the British newspaper, the “Independent,” the Greenpeace director, Allan Thornton, said the explosion that sank the ship, Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour was “a deliberate act of State terrorism.” He said that honouring those responsible was an example of the “perverse logic” that would ensure the nuclear arms race escalation.

Earlier, the French De-

fence Minister, Mr Andre Giraud, replying to a question in the Senate, said he would consider awarding the Legion d’Honneur to the two secret service agents who blew up the Rainbow Warrior which had been taking part in protests against French nuclear tests in the South Pacific.

Mr Giraud said the agents had displayed dig-

nity, discretion and patriotism when punished for the decisions of their superiors.

The agents were jailed after the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in July, 1985, but were later released into French custody to serve the rest of their sentences in a French Pacific territory.