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

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dknPLxB2aMQ
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/dknPLxB2aMQ
Generated: 2025-09-29T21:34:27.813+00:00

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## 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.

![Screenshot at 00:07: Two explosions graphically simulate the sinking of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Waitematā Harbour, Auckland, following the detonation of limpet mines planted by French agents.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-00-07.png)

**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.

### Rainbow Warrior Bombing

- July 10, 1985, 11:38 PM in Waitematā Harbour, Auckland
- Two bombs sunk the ship, killing photographer Fernando Pereira
- Testing moved from Moruroa to underwater sites by 1985.

### The Agents (Operation Satanique)

- Team 1 (Christine Cabon/Frédérique Bonlieu) performed reconnaissance
- Team 2 (Prieur and Mafart) planted explosives
- Team 3 (Dive Team) attached bombs to the hull.

### Capture and Aftermath

- Agents Prieur and Mafart escaped on the yacht Ouvéa but were later captured near Norfolk Island
- French government paid $7M to NZ, $8M to Greenpeace, and $3.5M to Pereira's family.

### Sentencing and Release

- Prieur and Mafart served short sentences in French custody at Hao Atoll
- Mafart got stomach problems; Prieur became pregnant, leading to early release.

### Legacy

- The event bolstered New Zealand's nuclear-free policy
- The wreck was later turned into the Rainbow Warrior Memorial at Matauri Bay, accessible for diving.

![Screenshot at 00:04: Satellite map pinpointing the location of the attack in Waitematā Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-00-04.png)
![Screenshot at 00:09: The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is shown alongside a photo of the vessel, which was sunk by French agents.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-00-09.png)
![Screenshot at 00:11: A portrait of Fernando Pereira, the photographer killed during the bombing.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-00-11.png)
![Screenshot at 00:17: A split screen illustrating the French government's involvement, showing a silhouette of a spy and the Eiffel Tower with the French flag.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-00-17.png)
![Screenshot at 01:08: Christine Cabon, identified as one of the French agents, shown in an undercover role.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-01-08.png)
![Screenshot at 01:47: Photos of the convicted agents, Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart, presented like classified spy documents.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-01-47.png)
![Screenshot at 02:07: Team 2 agents are shown on a yacht named Ouvéa, responsible for smuggling explosives.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-02-07.png)
![Screenshot at 03:36: Team 3 divers attach two bombs, one to the port side and one to the engine room, of the Rainbow Warrior.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-03-36.png)
![Screenshot at 04:08: The two explosions are simulated on the map, marking the moment the Rainbow Warrior sinks, killing Pereira.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-04-08.png)
![Screenshot at 06:14: A graphic summarizing the financial settlements: France paid $8M to Greenpeace and $7M to New Zealand, while also paying $3.5M to Pereira's family.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/dknPLxB2aMQ/00-06-14.png)