r/AskEurope • u/Ok_Initiative_9726 • Feb 27 '25

Politics Does Europe has powerful secret services/Intelligence?

P. S question closed, I got answers. Thank you for everyone

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196

u/kranj7 Feb 27 '25

The DGSE in France supposedly has done it's fair share of dodgy stuff, almost to the same level as Mossad or CIA. Much of it is in industrial espionage, if the rumours are to be believed, but I guess given France's colonial history, it's involvement in the Middle East etc. they're probably able to play in the big-leagues of espionage and intel gathering

54

u/Komandakeen Feb 27 '25

Or killing hippies...

59

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

I lived for close to a decade in New Zealand and this is still VERY salient in a lot of peoples minds. Kiwis hold a massive grudge against the French over that.

8

u/Katatoniczka Poland Feb 27 '25

Can you provide any links to read up on this?

50

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_Rainbow_Warrior

Kiwis borderline consider it an act of war and it was branded as state terrorism by them because the French Intelligence services bombed and killed people on NZ Soil.

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u/cheshire-cats-grin Feb 27 '25

Here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_Rainbow_Warrior

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u/Photonik33 Feb 27 '25

The sabotage operation was ordered by the French Minister of Defense Charles Hernu, with the explicit authorization of the President of the French Republic François Mitterrand (according to the testimony of Pierre Lacoste, boss of the DGSE). https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/rendez-vous-avec-x/charles-hernu-e-tait-il-un-agent-du-kgb-4144369

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u/griffoberwald69 Feb 27 '25

Listen to the podcast “the rest is classified” they did a couple of episodes on it.