French President Mitterrand Gave Green Light to Rainbow Warrior Bombing, Claims Investigative Journalist

Forty years after the bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour, a new six-part podcast series titled Rainbow Warrior: A Forgotten History is shedding light on the long-buried truth behind the attack. The series, hosted by John Daniell and Noelle McCarthy of Bird of Paradise Productions, reveals that French President Francois Mitterrand may have personally authorized the bombing, a claim supported by several high-ranking French officials and journalists.

The Rainbow Warrior, a flagship of the environmental organization Greenpeace, was sunk in 1985 during a protest against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. The attack killed one Greenpeace activist, Fernando Pereira, and left a lasting scar on New Zealand and the international community. Until now, the full extent of French government involvement has remained shrouded in secrecy.

In the final episode of the podcast, investigative journalist Edwy Plenel from Le Monde asserts that Mitterrand was directly involved in the operation. According to Plenel, Mitterrand not only gave the green light for the bombing but also lied about his involvement in the aftermath to protect his political career. He even promised a full inquiry into the incident to the New Zealand government, which ultimately turned out to be a whitewash.

Colonel Jean-Luc Kister, the French officer who planted the bombs on the Rainbow Warrior, confirmed that Mitterrand would have had to approve such a high-level clandestine operation. He used the French phrase “feu vert” (translated as “green fire” or “green light”) to describe the President’s authorization, indicating that the operation was not a rogue act but a state-sanctioned mission.

Former French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, a close confidant of Mitterrand, claimed that the President had instructed the Ministry of Defence to “neutralize” the area around the French nuclear testing site at Mururoa. However, Vedrine also acknowledged that there was a gap between Mitterrand’s orders and the actual execution of the bombing. He later admitted that he was not fully in favor of transparency, citing his own reservations about former President Francois Hollande’s involvement in covert operations.

Despite the French government offering compensation to the family of Fernando Pereira, Greenpeace, and New Zealand, Mitterrand remained in power for another decade. He eventually died in 1996 from prostate cancer, a condition he had concealed from the public throughout his presidency.

The Rainbow Warrior: A Forgotten History podcast series is a compelling true crime narrative that brings to light the hidden truths behind one of the most controversial events in modern history. The series is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms. New episodes are released every Thursday.

This series not only revisits the past but also underscores the importance of transparency in government actions, especially when they involve the use of force and the loss of innocent lives. It serves as a powerful reminder of the need for accountability in the highest levels of power.