The Agosta 90B Class Attack Submarine

“… the attack was in reprisal for non-payment of commissions distributed from 1995, while … Asif Ali Zardari, was a minister …”

Here is a rough English translation, from the French, of the story, Attentat à Karachi en 2002 : l’enquête s’oriente vers une “affaire d’Etats”, in France24 (l’original en français à la page 2, à la fin de poste), that is not accessible in Pakistan. An original English version, “Allegations link killing of French engineers to defence deal”, also inaccessible in Pakistan, appears as a separate post [here].

Attack in Karachi in 2002: the investigation is moving towards a “State Affair”

Friday, June 19, 2009 – 05:40

The investigation into the attack in Karachi in 2002 against the employees of state arsenals DCN [Direction des Constructions Navales] is moving towards a “state affair” and not to Al Qaeda,” said the lawyer for the seven families of victims, after seeing the anti-terrorism judges.

“The Al Qaeda track is completely abandoned. The motive for the attack appears linked to a cessation of payments of commissions” by France to Pakistan in connection with the sale of Agosta submarines, told AFP Me Olivier Morice, following a meeting of anti-terrorist judges Trévidic Marc and Yves Jannier with the families of victims, in Cherbourg.

“These committees had been established with the arrival of Jacques Chirac as President of the Republic in 1995 so that kickbacks” to finance the campaign of Edouard Balladur, Prime Minister before the arrival of Mr. Chirac for the presidency, “were stopped,” said the lawyer.

“Mr. Trévidic said that this ‘track was cruelly logical’,” said Magali Drouet, daughter of an employee of the DCN, defended by Morice.

In this scenario, the attack was in reprisal for non-payment of commissions distributed from 1995, while the current head of state of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, was a minister in the government of his wife Benazir Bhutto, said Mme Drouet.

“This is a case involving the states of France, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, a funder of Pakistan,” she added.

This track had suddenly emerged in 2008 as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and arms sales. Police had put their hands, during a raid on the headquarters of the DCNS ([Direction des Constructions Navales Services] former DCN), on documents relating to companies which have passed through commissions paid on the sidelines of arms contracts.

One of these, called Nautilus, and unsigned, was the “instrumentalization” of Islamic militants by members of the Pakistani secret service and army. It stated that “the attack in Karachi was carried out with the complicity of the (Pakistan) army and official support for Islamist guerrillas” of the Pakistani secret services.

According to this note in the file of the investigation, “the personalities who instrumentalized the Islamist group which carried out the action, were financially motivated (…) This was to obtain the unfulfilled payment” as part of a purchase of French submarines by Pakistan in 1994.

Interviewed by France 3 Thursday, Mr. Balladur said he had certainly “heard of this story for years” but stressed that, as far as he knew, it was held in a “perfectly correct” manner.

“There were actually agreements that were signed with the Pakistani government,” said the former head of government, adding: “I know all this was perfectly regular, I have nothing to add.”

“If someone has a witness to give evidence, they should approach the courts, that’s all,” he continued.

This track, once set aside by the judges in charge of the investigation, would again be taken very seriously in light of “new elements recently entered in the record,” said one investigator, without specifying the nature of these new elements.

“We turn inevitably toward acts of great importance. Leading political personalities will be heard,” said Mr. Morice.

The attack, made on 8 May 2002, left 14 dead, including 11 engineers working for French arsenals of the former State DCN, that became DCNS, or subcontractors; and 12 wounded.

Page 2 Le texte original en français