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Africa: West
French Expose Plot to Kill Ivorian Leader
2003-08-28
Suspected mercenaries arrested in France told investigators they were plotting to assassinate Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo. French officials have not given any details about the alleged plot, but two days before the arrests, Paris prosecutors opened an investigation into suspected terrorism- and mercenary-related activities, officials said.
If the French want Bag-Boy dead, they would do it up front.
The leading suspect, former army sergeant Ibrahim Coulibaly, has denied the charge.
"Lies! All lies!"
"Nope. Nope. Wudn't me."
The prosecutors, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the group told investigators of the plot once they were arrested. French counterintelligence agents arrested 10 people over the weekend, saying they were implicated in an alleged plot to destabilize Ivory Coast. An eleventh was detained Wednesday. Six of the suspects are French citizens and four are Ivoirians. One, presented as the financiere of the group, is Lebanese, judicial officials said.
Wonder where the money trail goes?
Ivorian military officials on Wednesday said they detained about 30 people, including soldiers, linked to the French arrests.
Mercs training in France, locals getting links and safe-houses set up in IC.
Living in exile in Burkina Faso since 2000, Coulibaly had recently announced his intention in the French media to return to Ivory Coast. He led a coup in 1999 but turned power over to Gen. Robert Guei rather than taking over himself.
Idiot. Couldn’t even run a coup properly!
He saw what happened to Sergeant Doe...
France’s top anti-terrorism judge, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, placed Coulibaly under investigation for ``recruiting mercenaries with the intention of physically eliminating Mr. Gbagbo,’’ French officials said. Coulibaly is now in custody. Coulibaly’s attorney, Sorin Margulis, said his client maintains that he ``does not know’’ the people claiming that an assassination plot was in the works. ``He didn’t recruit them,’’ Margulis said.
"We say again: lies! All lies! Why don’t you believe us?"
"Nope. Nope. Never heard of 'em..."
Posted by:Steve White

#5  "Reports that Gbagbo was a member of Greenpeace have not yet been confirmed..."
Posted by: snellenr   2003-8-28 11:41:30 AM  

#4  Frank, just blame Fred for the inoperative spell checker. I hear he's gonna work on it right after the sympathy meter gets back from the shop.
Posted by: Steve   2003-8-28 11:11:28 AM  

#3  Amrmy? Jeebus...Fred's gonna wonder why he put in a preview window if dumbshits like me don't bother to actually ...um...read it?
Posted by: Frank G   2003-8-28 11:01:08 AM  

#2  how does a "Former Amrmy Sergeant" get exiled? Big boys get exiled, sergeants get killed...this story does stink
Posted by: Frank G   2003-8-28 10:50:20 AM  

#1  Hardly any Rantberger likes the French. So, why do I get this delicious feeling the money trail for the merc activities will lead to French intelligence, and the investigation will eventually get lost in the shuffle?
Posted by: badanov   2003-8-28 7:35:04 AM  

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