U.S. Accused of Inspiring Mirage Crisis

The director of the French arms export department, Hugues de l’Estoile has accused the United States of having inspired the “Libyan Mirage crisis” for commercial reasons. De l’Estoile, a high-ranking member of the French Ministry of Defense, told a press conference here Thursday: “A splendid commercial venture could lie hidden behind this affair (the Libyan Mirage crisis). You should not be surprised to hear one of these days that the United States has sold Phantom planes to Libya.”

Openly referring to Israel’s charges that Libya has handed over 18 French-made Mirage planes to Egypt, de l’Estoile said: “with the exception of the Cherbourg boats, no French military equipment has been turned away from its final destination. France keeps a very serious check on the final destination of all arms it sells abroad.” The senior French official said that what was at stake was “whether Europe will have an aeronautical industry of its own or will become a captive market for the U.S.A.”

De l’Estoile said that the U.S. practices “an aggressive” arms export policy. He said “the Pentagon disposes of a budget of 10 billion francs (about $2 billion) to present certain countries with gifts.” The French aide said that France last year lost a contract for the sale of six Puma helicopters to Lebanon which finally bought American-Italian made Augusta-Bell -212 machines. He said that this was not surprising “as the Catholic Nuncio in Beirut served as the commercial representative of the selling company.”

The newspaper Le Monde reported today that the French Defense Ministry has decided not to change the rate of Mirage deliveries to Libya but will slow down deliveries of spare parts and equipment. Delivery of the 110 jets ordered by Libya will be completed by the fall of 1974, as scheduled.