French Betrayal

HUGH ROBERTSON QUESTIONS FOREIGN SECRETARY OVER FRENCH GOVERNMENT' BETRAYAL OF BRITAIN DURING IRAQ CONFLICT

The Foreign Secretary has been questioned over the French government's betrayal of Britain during the recent Iraq conflict by Hugh Robertson, who served in a main battle tank regiment during the 1991 Gulf War. The question followed a number of recent reports that the French government helped Saddam Hussain to avoid the UN sanctions regime and that it briefed him on British plans prior to the recent conflict.

Hugh said: "There is a considerable amount of information coming both out of diplomatic channels and now out of Baghdad to suggest that the French government helped Saddam Hussain avoid the UN Sanctions Regime by "broking" his oil on the international market. This is clearly a damaging accusation involving the flouting of the authority of the United Nations - as well as helping an enemy of the West.

"There have also been suggestions that the French government briefed Saddam's regime on British and American plans prior to the invasion. Clearly, this would be a matter of the utmost severity, as it would have put British lives at risk.

"The Foreign Secretary replied very carefully that he had seen no corroboration of these reports but it is clearly something I will want to monitor carefully as more information becomes available.

"If there is any truth in either report, it would also say a great deal about the French government's stance over Iraq."