Greenpeace not surprised at Rainbow Warrior findings

On the 20th anniversary of the Rainbow Warrior bombing a previously secret report has revealed France's late president Francois Mitterrand authorised sabotage of the Greenpeace ship.

In the clearest evidence to date of Mitterrand's involvement in the events that cost the life of Portuguese photographer Fernando Pereira, French newspaper Le Monde has published an extract of a 1986 account written by Pierre Lacoste, the former head of France's DGSE foreign intelligence service.

"I asked the President if he gave me permission to put into action the neutralisation plan that I had studied on the request of Monsieur [Charles] Hernu," Lacoste wrote. Hernu was defence minister at the time.

"He gave me his agreement while stressing the importance he placed on the nuclear tests. I didn't go into greater detail on the plan as the authorisation was explicit enough," he said.

Lacoste added that he "would not have launched such an operation without the personal authorisation of the President of the Republic".

Sir Geoffrey Palmer, who was Deputy Prime Minister at the time of the bombing, said Mitterrand's role in the sabotage had never been clear.

"It is very disappointing," Sir Geoffrey said of the Lacoste report of Mitterrand's involvement, "because one would not expect the president of a friendly nation to authorise an illegal act against a nation with whom you enjoy friendly relations and with whom you have fought in two world wars. That seems to me to be extraordinary."

Sir Geoffrey said it was possible Mitterrand did not know the extent of Hernu's plans.

"I dare say that what Mitterrand authorised was something pretty general, not something all that specific." Sir Geoffrey said everyone involved in the bombing had an interest in protecting their reputations, but Mitterrand, who died in 1996, was unable to do so.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the report came as no great surprise.

"It confirms what we have always suspected was the case, that the attack on the Rainbow Warrior was authorised at the highest level."

Greenpeace campaigner Steve Sawyer also said the Le Monde report came as no surprise although he found its timing peculiar.

"Mitterrand's always been responsible for the Government. We've always held him responsible."

Mr Sawyer said others had claimed Mitterrand did not know about the plans, but never Mitterrand himself.

"It doesn't change anything. No one thought it was a rogue spy service acting against the Government."