Air taxis in the Amazon and the French spies..
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Air taxis in the Amazon and the French spies..
Some of use may know about the apparent attempt by the French to rescue a Colombian politician, Ingrid Betancourt, from Colombian rebels. The mission involved the dispatch of a C130 to Manaus, Brazil, containing a curious team of DGSE (=MI6) agents, doctors and the deputy head of the Foreign Minister's private office. From Manaus a party continued to the border by air taxi. But - whatever they were planning - it didn't come off, and the Brazilians were furious about the operation (the froggies hadn't troubled to inform them about the coming violation of Brazilian territory). Now, Le Monde has published the story of the air-taxi pilot involved. It's enough to make Chimbu Chuckles' hair turn white, and it's here for those who speak French.
If you don't, the gist is as follows:
On the 10th of July, Mr. Cleiton de Abreu, an air taxi pilot for Rico Lineas Aereas, was met at Manaus airport by the French consul, who had engaged his services, and was introduced to four men who claimed to be tourists. They wanted to go to Sao Paulo de Olivenca, a place 1000 Km West of Manaus (i.e. beyond the back of beyond) near the Colombian border. The aircraft (an Embraer Caraja) had been chartered on the account of the French Embassy. According to Mr Abreu, he was suspicious of them at once because they were dressed like tourists but had arrived in the C130 parked opposite the Rico Lineas ramp (oops!). They were in fact two anonymous spooks, a doctor, and the foreign office bureaucrat mentioned above.
They all arrived three hours later, after a tech stop in Tefe, at their destination. Abreu remarked of this place that "it's not known for the beauty of the countryside, more for the smuggling". He noticed that no-one met the men at the airfield. The whole affair reminded him of another incident, on the 28th of Feb 2000, when two men chartered him to another strip in the same area. On the way he became suspicious of their motives after noticing that they were armed. "When they suddenly got up, just as I was doing the landing checklist, Ricardo (the second pilot who was carrying a pistol) fired at them." One of these two was a Brazilian, who died at the scene. The other was a Colombian, who ended up in prison before his extradition. He began to fear that something similar might happen, especially after they began asking questions about night flying, the plane's rough field capability, and about another strip (Sao Laurenco) of which he'd never heard. He further discovered from a taxi driver that the Frenchmen wanted to leave at 1700 that day.
He began to get really worried, though, when he discovered that the pax had been carefully examining the aircraft in his absence.(!) "Then, I really got frightened.." He decided to leave at once, leaving them behind and heading for Tabatinga. There he informed the police, who met him at the airfield. The firm's agent in Sao Paulo de Olivenza told the men that the plane had gone due to "technical reasons". 7 hours later the men returned to Manaus in the same plane, but with a policeman carrying 2 pistols in his belt (like a pirate). There, more police waited. They demanded to search the Herk, but the French claimed diplomatic immunity. They were invited to leave Brazil, which they did.
Quelle aventure...
If you don't, the gist is as follows:
On the 10th of July, Mr. Cleiton de Abreu, an air taxi pilot for Rico Lineas Aereas, was met at Manaus airport by the French consul, who had engaged his services, and was introduced to four men who claimed to be tourists. They wanted to go to Sao Paulo de Olivenca, a place 1000 Km West of Manaus (i.e. beyond the back of beyond) near the Colombian border. The aircraft (an Embraer Caraja) had been chartered on the account of the French Embassy. According to Mr Abreu, he was suspicious of them at once because they were dressed like tourists but had arrived in the C130 parked opposite the Rico Lineas ramp (oops!). They were in fact two anonymous spooks, a doctor, and the foreign office bureaucrat mentioned above.
They all arrived three hours later, after a tech stop in Tefe, at their destination. Abreu remarked of this place that "it's not known for the beauty of the countryside, more for the smuggling". He noticed that no-one met the men at the airfield. The whole affair reminded him of another incident, on the 28th of Feb 2000, when two men chartered him to another strip in the same area. On the way he became suspicious of their motives after noticing that they were armed. "When they suddenly got up, just as I was doing the landing checklist, Ricardo (the second pilot who was carrying a pistol) fired at them." One of these two was a Brazilian, who died at the scene. The other was a Colombian, who ended up in prison before his extradition. He began to fear that something similar might happen, especially after they began asking questions about night flying, the plane's rough field capability, and about another strip (Sao Laurenco) of which he'd never heard. He further discovered from a taxi driver that the Frenchmen wanted to leave at 1700 that day.
He began to get really worried, though, when he discovered that the pax had been carefully examining the aircraft in his absence.(!) "Then, I really got frightened.." He decided to leave at once, leaving them behind and heading for Tabatinga. There he informed the police, who met him at the airfield. The firm's agent in Sao Paulo de Olivenza told the men that the plane had gone due to "technical reasons". 7 hours later the men returned to Manaus in the same plane, but with a policeman carrying 2 pistols in his belt (like a pirate). There, more police waited. They demanded to search the Herk, but the French claimed diplomatic immunity. They were invited to leave Brazil, which they did.
Quelle aventure...
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Something for a film producer/director in Hollywood to take up.
For practical matters, proper diplomatic protocol would require offical permission and cooperation from the host country. It's dubious that the Republic of France would dispatch a rather large state aircraft into a foreign land without coordination and without a declared purpose.
For practical matters, proper diplomatic protocol would require offical permission and cooperation from the host country. It's dubious that the Republic of France would dispatch a rather large state aircraft into a foreign land without coordination and without a declared purpose.
Well, Glueball, it appears very definitely that they did! Mind-boggling that they thought they'd accomplish the mission without a hitch. They must have assumed all Amazon bush pilots - and about everyone else south of Marseille - are just plain dumb. Hats off to Abreu.
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Roger that, Steamchicken; no doubt, prior permission and a Flight Plan for the French Air Force C130 to be at MAO. But to be there under false mission pretenses?
The fuzzy part about what happens next is what's Hollywood stuff: That the French Consul, in his official capacity, would clandestinely engage his bounty hunting "team" on a foreign cross country, cross border, mission to extract a Colombian citizen politician held hostage presumably in the Colombian jungle.... To engage in such an extravagant endeavor in foreign lands without Brazilian and Colombian government approval and coordination is impractical reality, eh?
The fuzzy part about what happens next is what's Hollywood stuff: That the French Consul, in his official capacity, would clandestinely engage his bounty hunting "team" on a foreign cross country, cross border, mission to extract a Colombian citizen politician held hostage presumably in the Colombian jungle.... To engage in such an extravagant endeavor in foreign lands without Brazilian and Colombian government approval and coordination is impractical reality, eh?
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These type of missions happen very often and if you don't get caught nobody knows about it .
Leaving in Africa I can tell you that the French , the British , the American and others use their inteligence services in many countries without asking anything . And why do you think we 've got spies ? To ask permissions to do a mission ? Don't be fouls !
And the equivalent of MI6 is not the DGSE , but the DST (Direction De La Surete Nationale ) or the RG (Renseignement Generaux ) .
Please don't be anti French , the old wars are over and you guys should not be worry 'jeane d'arc ' is dead long ago . Just jocking .
Merci
Gusto
Leaving in Africa I can tell you that the French , the British , the American and others use their inteligence services in many countries without asking anything . And why do you think we 've got spies ? To ask permissions to do a mission ? Don't be fouls !
And the equivalent of MI6 is not the DGSE , but the DST (Direction De La Surete Nationale ) or the RG (Renseignement Generaux ) .
Please don't be anti French , the old wars are over and you guys should not be worry 'jeane d'arc ' is dead long ago . Just jocking .
Merci
Gusto
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Bon Soir Gusto,
Vous etes droit, Jean D'arc est mort et la guerre contre les Francais est finis, mais tous les gens de la monde aimez un grand sourire
Aujourd'hui nous ne sommes pas anti la France, c'est une tres belle pays.
Pardon moi mon francais est tres mal, merci et bon chance,
salut
Vous etes droit, Jean D'arc est mort et la guerre contre les Francais est finis, mais tous les gens de la monde aimez un grand sourire
Aujourd'hui nous ne sommes pas anti la France, c'est une tres belle pays.Pardon moi mon francais est tres mal, merci et bon chance,
salut
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StressFree, don't you find extremely amusing the fact that the UK has welcomed with open arms all that US intelligence material on its soil, including satellite-coupled antennas being able to listen and analyse every conversation, even the quitest farts throughout continental Europe ? Echelon Project it's called. Thank you so much our dear British allies we are entitled to trust in.
You said "Never trust a Frenchman"...Coming from a British person, I think I'm going to wet my pants in laughters...
Isn't it good to feel shafted hard by our cross-channel friends.
You said "Never trust a Frenchman"...Coming from a British person, I think I'm going to wet my pants in laughters...
Isn't it good to feel shafted hard by our cross-channel friends.
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Bijave,
Interesting post...................................
By looking at your location I'm surprised you're able to talk about shafting anybody in Continental Europe bearing in mind recent history.
Interesting post...................................
By looking at your location I'm surprised you're able to talk about shafting anybody in Continental Europe bearing in mind recent history.
