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New Zealand Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior bomber apologises New Zealand Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior bomber apologises
(35 minutes later)
The French secret service frogman who led the deadly attack on the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand 30 years ago has for the first time apologised for his actions. The French intelligence agent who led the deadly attack on the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand 30 years ago has for the first time apologised for his actions.
"I would like to to take this opportunity to express my deepest regret," Jean-Luc Kister told the Sunday programme of TVNZ. Jean-Luc Kister told the TVNZ station that the action "resulted in the accidental death of an innocent man", photographer Fernando Pereira.
He said that the death of a man on the vessel was an "unfortunate accident". Greenpeace called for a Paris street to be named after Mr Pereira.
The ship was mined to stop Greenpeace protests against French nuclear tests.The ship was mined to stop Greenpeace protests against French nuclear tests.
The Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985 was imminently due to sail to Mururoa atoll in French Polynesia where the tests were due to be conducted. The Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985 was due to sail to Mururoa atoll in French Polynesia where the tests were due to be conducted.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says it was one of the most notorious acts of state sabotage.The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says it was one of the most notorious acts of state sabotage.
The two mines planted by Mr Kister immediately sank the vessel in Auckland harbour and killed Portuguese photographer Fernando Pereira. The mines planted by Mr Kister sank the vessel in Auckland harbour, killing Mr Pereira.
Mr Kister told TVNZ's Sunday programme that it was not the aim of his team to kill anybody and that he wanted to say sorry to the family of Pereira, to Greenpeace members on board the vessel and to the people of New Zealand.Mr Kister told TVNZ's Sunday programme that it was not the aim of his team to kill anybody and that he wanted to say sorry to the family of Pereira, to Greenpeace members on board the vessel and to the people of New Zealand.
He said the destruction of the vessel was "an unfair, clandestine operation conducted in an allied, friendly and peaceful country" which "unfortunately resulted in the accidental death of an innocent man". He said the destruction of the vessel was "disproportionate" and "an unfair, clandestine operation conducted in an allied, friendly and peaceful country".
Mr Kister was working for France's DGSE spy agency at the time of the attack, and was part of a 12-member team, whose mission was to attach two large limpet mines to the hull of the converted trawler. "We had to obey orders, we were soldiers," he said.
One of the men on his team was Gerard Royal, the brother of the current French environment minister and former presidential candidate Segolene Royal. Greenpeace said in a statement (in French) that Mr Kister's apology "will not bring Fernando back but proves once again that our colleague was sacrificed in the name of a state interest that even one of the state's servants is calling into question".
"For us it was just like using boxing gloves in order to crush a mosquito," he said." It was a disproportionate operation, but we had to obey orders, we were soldiers." Mr Kister was working as part of a 12-man team for France's DGSE spy agency at the time of the attack.
He said that he had decided to apologise now because the incident was weighing on his conscience and now that he was retired he no longer had to keep quiet about a mission misconceived from the start.
"We are not cold-blooded killers," he said, while describing the attack as "an act of sabotage rather than an act of terrorism".
France has apologised and paid damages for the bombing and in 1996 stopped the nuclear testing that initiated the Greenpeace protest.France has apologised and paid damages for the bombing and in 1996 stopped the nuclear testing that initiated the Greenpeace protest.
Only two agents have stood trial for the attack - Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart, who both posed as Swiss tourists. Only two agents have stood trial over the attack - Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart. They were arrested in New Zealand after the attack and sentenced to 10 years in jail for manslaughter.
They pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter and wilful damage, attracting sentences of 10 and seven years. However, a settlement meant that they were transferred to a base in French Polynesia and were released within two years.
However a UN-negotiated settlement meant that they were transferred to a base in French Polynesia. They were released within two years.