Has defense secrecy become a reason or unreason of state?

Audio 29:30

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, during a joint press conference with his French counterpart Florence Parly, Tuesday, October 2, 2018. © Philippe Wojazer / REUTERS

By: Philippe Lecaplain

1 min

It was on November 2, 2013, Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon of RFI were kidnapped, then murdered during a report near Kidal.

For all this time, the precise chain of events has remained murky as the government claims to have punished a jihadist. 

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It was, a few days ago, the deputies of rebellious France demanded the opening of a Commission of inquiry in the National Assembly on the misappropriation of an intelligence mission, led by Paris for the benefit of Cairo in the Egyptian-Libyan border.

What these two pieces of information have in common is defense secrecy, which prevents us from knowing exactly what happened.

This measure of silence is increasingly opposed to those who want to know.

It thwarts the discovery of the truth.

If the practice is common in countries where respect for freedom is not a virtue, it worries some in our democracies.

A debate with our guests: 

- Antoine Glaser,

 journalist specializing in Africa, co-author with Pascal Airault of "

The African trap of Macron

" at Fayard, vice-president of the Association of Friends of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon 

- Jean-Dominique Merchet

, journalist specializing in international and defense issues 

- Pascal Jouary,

journalist, author of the investigation "

Secret defense, the black book

" at Max Milo.

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  • Defense

  • France

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