Karachi: declassified documents soon?

Related to the attack in 2002, they could soon be viewed by the judges.

Nothing is yet decided. The Advisory Committee on secret national defense has given a favorable opinion Friday to declassify 65 documents Matignon, Foreign and Defence relating to financial aspects of the court record of the attack in Karachi, May 8, 2002. Eleven French had been killed. Despite this progress, only the relevant ministries decide to declassify-defense on the documents requested by the judges. Europe1.fr an update on the significance of this decision.

What does the defense secret? The term is used to describe a government document or military that involves national security. "May have a secret character of national defense [...] processes, objects, documents, information, computer networks or files concerning national defense that were the subject of protective measures to restrict their release or access", said Article 413-9 of the Penal Code. Access to these items classified by the Elysée, Matignon and other ministries is limited to a few people. Since the Act of July 29, 2009, the defense secret is expanded to twenty locations housing the classified documents, including intelligence and espionage against.

There are several gradations: the confidential defense, defense secrecy and finally the very top secret. Military secrecy itself covers wiretapping, technical specifications of military equipment, special contracts, discussion boards authorizing arms sales.

Who decides the lifting of military secrecy? The Advisory Committee on secret national defense has only advisory. Created by the Act of July 8, 1998, the independent administrative authority is seized by an investigator who wants access to classified documents for his investigation. It decides on requests for waiver of defense secret but only the minister who ordered the ranking may decide to lift it. So far, the CCSDN issued about 180 notices that three-quarters in favor of declassification. They were followed in their nearly all the authorities concerned.

Who requested the declassification? The investigating judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke filed these requests to the Prime Minister Francois Fillon, the foreign minister Alain Juppe and Defence Minister Gerard Longuet in March. This judge is charged with Roger Le Loire open information for "misuse of corporate assets, complicity and concealment" about two arms contracts, one of which is linked to the Karachi attack.

What documents are affected? In its first opinion issued Friday, the CCSDN gives a favorable opinion to the declassification of 39 classified documents from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The second, concerning the Department of Defense, gives a favorable opinion to the declassification of six of the eight documents requested by the magistrate. However, it is unfavorable to the declassification of two sheets of 21 February 1997.
A third opinion, also requested by the defense, ruled for the declassification of sixteen of the seventeen documents submitted to the opinion of the CCSDN and for the partial declassification of a note dated 24 July 1998.
Finally in a fourth one, the CCSDN proposes declassifying four of the seven documents requested by the judge to the Prime Minister. It issues a partially favorable opinion to the declassification of three documents: a memorandum to the Director of the Prime Minister of 26 November 1997, a memorandum to the Prime Minister by the Secretary of National Defense December 22, 1997 as a result of a meeting four days earlier, of the Interministerial Commission for the Study of exports of war materials (CIEEMG), reported on February 18, 1998.

Fifteen have already been given notice by the CCSDN in this folder. Two-thirds were in favor of declassification, the third being partially favorable or unfavorable.

Who is indicted in this financial aspect? Ziad Takieddine, through the Franco-Lebanese arms contracts concluded in 1994, was indicted on three occasions, the last of which dates back to April 24, for "complicity and the misuse of corporate assets" and "money aggravated ".

Thierry Gaubert, the former adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy was indicted Sept. 21 for the misuse of corporate assets.

Nicolas Bazire, Chief of Staff of Edouard Balladur and close to Nicolas Sarkozy was indicted Sept. 22 for complicity in misuse of corporate assets.

Finally, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres was indicted December 15 for "complicity in misuse of corporate assets".

Now what? The ball is now in the camp of the future government. After the second round of the presidential election, all departmental wallets redistributed. However, only departments with classified documents requested by the Judges may decide to waive the defense secret. If Nicolas Sarkozy was elected Sunday, it will change the government within 48 hours, he said Friday on Europe 1. The decision could therefore be made very quickly. But if Francis Holland wins, the new government will be appointed as mid-May, when he takes office.