France Sent Their Dumbest Spies to Blow Up This Boat in NZ

Quick Overview

French agents Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart were convicted for their role in the 1985 bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland, New Zealand, which resulted in the death of photographer Fernando Pereira, leading to their short prison sentences in France.

Key Points: The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was sunk by two limpet mines planted by French secret agents on July 10, 1985, in Auckland's Waitematā Harbour, killing photographer Fernando Pereira. The attack was orchestrated under 'Operation Satanique' by French agents using aliases; Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart were identified as the captains, while Team 2 carried out the bombing and Team 3 planted the explosives. The agents were eventually caught in New Zealand, but France paid compensation: $7 million to New Zealand and $8 million to Greenpeace, plus a $3.5 million settlement for Pereira's family. Prieur and Mafart served short sentences in French custody at Hao Atoll, with Mafart later developing stomach problems and Prieur becoming pregnant, leading to reduced sentences. Forty years later, the French government formally apologized for the attack, and New Zealand cemented its status as a nuclear-free nation. The incident is commemorated by the Rainbow Warrior Memorial at Matauri Bay, accessible via a walking track and for scuba diving.

Context: This video recounts the details of the 1985 Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior bombing, an act of state terrorism carried out by French secret agents in Auckland, New Zealand, to disrupt Greenpeace's anti-nuclear testing campaign in the Pacific. The narrative follows the agents' mission, their capture, the subsequent legal and financial fallout, and the eventual commemoration of the event.

Detailed Analysis

The video details the 1985 bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Waitematā Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand, on July 10, 1985, at 11:38 PM, which killed photographer Fernando Pereira. The operation, codenamed 'Opération Satanique,' involved three teams of French agents. Team 2, led by captains Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart (using aliases), carried out the bombing using explosives attached to the hull. Team 3, the dive team, planted the bombs. The agents' elaborate escape involved smuggling explosives and boarding a yacht named 'Ouvéa' before fleeing. The investigation implicated 130 people, but only Prieur and Mafart were charged. They were found guilty of manslaughter but served reduced sentences in France (Mafart for health reasons, Prieur due to pregnancy) and were later released after a few years, far short of their initial sentences. France paid $7 million to New Zealand and $8 million to Greenpeace, plus $3.5 million to Pereira's family. The incident ultimately helped solidify New Zealand's nuclear-free stance. The wreck of the Rainbow Warrior was later sunk intentionally near Matauri Bay in 1987 to become an artificial reef and memorial.