The former director of the foreign intelligence service (DGSE) Bernard Bajolet returned, Monday, October 18, to his remarks broadcast Sunday evening in a documentary, where he seemed to confirm the existence of a “Mole” in the service of the Russians in the cabinet of the French Minister of Defense in 2017.
Interviewed for the France 5 channel by journalist Caroline Roux on the case of“A mole who had joined the very cabinet of the minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian”, now Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bajolet responds in the documentary Putin, the master of the game, directed by Marie Lorand: “Indeed, when I was director general of external security, I had brought up …” The former director of the DGSE continues:
“Because in previous years, we used to say: “Tout that is over.” After the cold war, we don’t have to waste our time on spies who no longer exist (…). THEThe priority is the fight against terrorism, but for all that it is clear that espionage activities had not ceased at all. “
In our documentary, the former director of the DGSE Bernard Bajolet confirms that a “mole” officiated in 2017 at … https://t.co/lr1eCYCRj6
In “Focus” sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday, Mr. Bajolet assures that he has “Never wanted to react to an individual case or mention a particular firm, but [qu’il a] wanted to underline the intensity of the espionage activities carried out against [la France] by foreign powers, including Russia, and the importance of the counterintelligence function entrusted to the intelligence services, which[’il a] rise in priorities ” when he was at the head of the DGSE.
“This type of business is classified”
“In no case can my response be considered as confirmation of the reality of the allegations made by Mr.me Roux on the presence of a foreign agent in the cabinet of a minister at the time ”, he says in his press release.
Part of his response was cut during the editing of the documentary, he assures the World. “Probably I was awkward, but my idea was not to respond to this individual case and I never gave any feedback on it. ” Contacted by The world, the show had not yet responded, Monday evening, about possible cuts.
“At no time was Le Drian’s office in difficulty”, for its part reacted, Monday morning, the minister’s office, where we say to ourselves “Very surprised by the statements of a former DGSE who knows that this type of business is classified”. Mr Le Drian’s cabinet further comments:
“Basically, the French counter-espionage [une compétence que n’a pas la DGSE, elle relève de la direction générale de la sécurité intérieure, DGSI] works remarkably and knows how to thwart the attempts of foreign powers who would like to approach places of power. “
This case had been mentioned at the time by the press and had not been confirmed by the DGSE, according to the practice of the service. According to the French online media Mediapart, a spy from the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service, had recruited a “Mole” in the cabinet of Mr. Le Drian when he was Minister of Defense under the presidency of François Hollande.
According to Mediapart, “Notes from the DGSE relate in particular to meetings between the French senior officer and his Russian officer in charge. Minutes of ministerial meetings would have been sent ”. “A priori, it was for the officer to explain the new policy of France vis-à-vis eastern Europe” To “An interlocutor who presented himself to him as a diplomat”, emphasized the online media.