WEBVTT

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Tonight we will look at the Caravelle Crash, 11th Septembre 1968 and the

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It took off from Corsica and it never arrived in Nice, it crashed off the Cap d'Antibe killing all 95

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aboard. The authorities declared a non lieu saying a fire caused the accident. But for many years the

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families feel that the state and perhaps the army, without any proof at the moment are in some way implicated

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in this crash.

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At 10.33 the Caravelle took off from Ajaccio minutes later the plane would land in Nice Cote d'Azur airport. Whey and how should a fire have broken

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out what hapened after the pilot sent his message, why the plane exploded in mid flight and not when it hit the water. Three questions

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still without a reply the catastrophy caused 95 victims.

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The last flight of the Caravelle F_ BOHB

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In the airport of Campo delaru a walker who happened to take the last photo of the Caravelle F-HBOB.

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A few minutes later it took off for Nice, but on making the approach to Nice the pilot mentions a fire,

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the plane is in difficulites he mentions the inevitability of a crash.

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they were his last words before the plane disappeared from the radar screens at 10.34

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When the emergency services arrived off the coast of the Cote d'Antibes it was a moment of horror.

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The odor of kersosene was heavy in the air 95 persons lost their life, six of them members of staff.

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Only a few bodies and a few personal effects were found the pieces of the Caravelle, had sunk.

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A few days later in Nice the requiem ceremonies showed the familes pain.

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A dense silent crowd gathered around the Centre of Civil Protection.

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Where the bodies were kept.

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In Corse despite the terrible shock no one new what had caused the crase.

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In Nice whilst it was made known that the right engine had been replaced three days previously

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The hypothosis of a fire was mooted.

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An investigation was opened and during this period of four months other Caravelles crashed for unknown reasons.

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the crash in Algeria in 69, a fire in electrical system.

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In a hanger in Orly, one went on fire due to the heater.

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For Ajaccio-Nice the judge declared a Non-lieu, the official these was a unknown fire.

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Pierre Gimart, was the radio controller who last spoke to the pilot, he confirms this liklihood of this hypothesis.

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He states the pilot had not mentioned an impact or an engine on fire.

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Did he not mention the word engine"no, no, no I have the start of a fire on board"

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He started to descend, I suppose it was the proceedure. We were listening.

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My collegue said "message received" , Did he seem panicked? Not at all!

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Always with an inperturbable calm he said "I don't think I can land, I'm going to crash"

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According to the journalist the airline staff seemed anguished.

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An airline breguer passing even intercepted a conversation, My God the fire is gaining we will never

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get to Nice.

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These phrases and others are not in the official report.

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A few days after the crash the doubts install amongst the population.

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about the origin of the crash.

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A few talked about an attempt as they had curiously found bullets in part of the toilet.

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A rumour started that an error in the trajectory of a missille, attracted by the heat of the engines.

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This rumour became tenacious when it was found that 11 September 68,

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at the moment of the crash, military exercises were taking place.

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In the Mediteranian, surveilled by Radar centre Mont Angel.

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near Monaco, a team of TV journalists were there.

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By chance a sound tecnician recorded a conversation in the room.

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When he went to develop the recording in offices of France3 Antibe.

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A colleague technician states he heard amongts the conversations.

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"It has escaped us, It has escaped us"!

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"We've lost it, we've lost it"!.

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We were discussing what we had heard and were asking ourselves questions.

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When two persons from the Renseignment Generaux (captains) came to ask for the recording and took it away.

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A recoding that was seized and never figured in the final report.

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For Mathieu et Louis Paoli who lost their mother and father in the catastrophy.

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Its the first of many issues in an investigation they say is graving incomplete.

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They believe in the idea of a missile hitting the plane.

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Especially when they found a letter written by a member of the Investigating Commission.

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Jean Dupont, pilot and inspector in Air France had not understood.

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Why the radar films of the Caravelle had been hidden from him.

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Then released some five months later and the report of hypothesis that he was studying..

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amonst others was modified without his agreement.

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This is exactly what he wrote "much more serious the chapter dealing with

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the potential of a collision with a missile was completely changed.

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In his letters that he sent at the time he says its in 1968.

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His says "if anything happens to me at all, sickness or accidents

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you must look to those responsible in the military authorities and the State.

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This member of the Investigating Commission he felt threatened? "Oh yes, he felt threatened!

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Nothing happened to Jean Dupont who died of natural causes.

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But in his letters he insists in verifying the declaration made by the military.

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That they had not fired missiles that day.

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A surprising declaration as on that day, a team of TV journalists to RTF,

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were in Mont Angel to watch aerial interception exercises, with non armed planes.

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According to official declarations launches of Titan Ground to Air missiles

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were planned it suffices to look at the newpapers Le provencal,

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which warns people that there will be missile launches 11 September and 12th.

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Curiously this information is not in the final report.

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Jean Philippe who lived close to base and often climbed and walked in the area, remembers as a teenager.

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"the policemen would not allow near the blockade explaining to us,

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they were doing secret experiements. We knew what that meant,

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as each time they were firing from Isle de Levant the technicians would install

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a large machine on the roof of the building and would follow

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the missile firing using this machine. We went off to play in another area.

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11 Septembre 1968 Ange was in a boat with his father.

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near the Cap d'Antibe he did not see the missile not the crash.

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but the FBOH-B passed over his head.

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It seemed ok, it was a bit bizarre because there was not normally planes there.

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but we saw a hole in the body of the plane it was black, it did not go the whole way through.

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Smoke was coming out of it, but the plane was flying ok, but very low.

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Ange did not hear the explosion but Vitien who was playing golf that morning.

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He confirms seeing the plane and a strange blue light

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that came from behind the plane and hit from behind the plane

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after that came an explosion that cut the Caravelle in two.

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The journalists reported seeing balls of fire falling into the ocean.

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These were never reported in the main investigation.

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As for Etienne he said what he had seen a few times and was never interviewed by the judge, then he kept quiet

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he claims that he feels guitly now

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"to see 95 people die in front of you made me sick".

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"I've had it on my conscience all these years". You are still emotional Etienne.

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"Yes of course". Why did you not say anything?

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"One always said to me "you must not say anything"

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I risked ... I had a family! Did you think you would be killed by someone?

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I was afraid.... afraid!

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Etienne was not the only one not to talk.. at the time the voice of the State

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all powerful could not be called into question. There was a

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Ministry of Information which controlled the media and all information about the affair.

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even controlled the official journal where the report would be published.

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This fear of saying what one feared one knew was widespread.

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Monsieur Laty also felt this fear and its only in 2011 that he explains for the first time,

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to have transcribed a confidential military document when he was in the marines,

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in a post in the Department of the Varres.

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"I had to note, because I was the secretary of the captain M..Blanc of the organisation.

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I had to transcribe of the investigating commission.

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What happened was there was an exercies, a target airplane (drone?) passed

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which was to pass the exercise was to fire on the target plane with

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ground to air which was not armed. It was just to fire it.....

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and then the Caravelle arrived it was the Caravelle was taken as the target...

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Monsieur Laty has given a written an official written testament,

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so that it can be eventually used in the legal process

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Other evidence concerns the black box found in 1971 at 2000 ft depth

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if the black box has not deteriorated after two years at the bottom of the sea

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valuable information can be gleaned for the investigation into

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the causes of this crash.

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But, as it happens the report noted that the black box was not usable

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and they could not find the cause of the fire.

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However, today a man who lives abroad his friend, Jean Pierre, who he knew well, had analysed the tape in the black box

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confessed to him in confidence "he was very reserved he would

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not have told everyone"... what did he say about the black box?

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He said they were found they were analysed and contrary to

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what was reported there was indeed perforation of the exterior of the plane

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did he employ the term missile or not? "No he did not ... one

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could suppose it was a missile.

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No one can tell us now where this black box is... nor indeed

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the eight tonnes of wreakage found after the crash

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the article in France-Soir 1971 shows that bits of the fusilage

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were brought to a hanger of Aerospacial in Toulouse...

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we contacted Airbus in Toulouse but also the BEA

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Office of Accident Investigation in Paris, no-one knows where

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the debris has gone, perhaps destroyed or lost.

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One of the authors of "Secrets of State", confirms that other

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pieces of wreakage were found and brought to the marine base in Toulon.

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"we found incontestable documentary evidence that proves, that proves that some

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pieces of wrekage were taken to Toulon in secret. We have

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a witness that also confirms that these pices were taken there in 1971

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Very curiously, the plane was civilian and owned by Air France

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Air France would not answer our questions and by email

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advised us to contact the Ministry of Defense.

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The same minister has refused for some years systematically to talk to us

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therefore it is impossible for us in this investigation to give

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you the military version, total mute/no comment from the military

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Each year on the 11 september in Nice and Ajaccio pay

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homage to the 95 persons killed, for the family and friends

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the pain is intact.

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Marie Claude Coni lost her father in the crash, the General Coni

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great survivor of concentration camps before becoming

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an emblematic member of the army. In 2011 his daughter

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has forgotten nothing... "nothing after a ceremony like this, I

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must say that one has a lump in ones throat, very close to

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those who are no longer here."there is a lot of emotion still, 43 years

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after, so?" "yes, yes...."

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The drama for the relatives is that there is no real grave

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because nearly all the bodies were never found. So in Ajaccio and Nice

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there is a memorial of metal plunging into the sea

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Vivianne is here to listen to the names of the brother and sister

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she lost.... 22 and 20 years they went off, there is only me

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and my younger sister who have both suffered because of this.

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We were a family decimated by the accident. Now I want to

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know everything, everything. I explode, I want to know...

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Leave the doubt, was there yes or no a missile fired or was it a fire

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The families launched for more information ...

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"now there are many people who are older who wish to lighten

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their concience...,, I ask them, truely, you must do it..

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Its for the good of 95 people but for human nature, simply.

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I invite them to contact be it my uncles or the Association

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for any indications that could throw light on this affair.

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We ask nothing, we ask for the truth so that all this ends.. for peace

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The wish to find the truth is also apparent is also evident

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concerning some politicians, such as those who attended the recent commemorative ceremony.

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"I think that today its not a question of taboo, our country

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has its obligations. We are doing it today for the Rio de Janero

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disaster which happened just a year ago. I think we have an

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obligation to do it even to go back 43 years.

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| have followed the affair and now I am persuaded that it was a missile

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which hit this avion, from Isle de Levant, from Le Plateau d'albion..

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we must not forget Le Plateau.." "What makes you say these things".

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Many things, firstly the "mutism" absolute silence of the army

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The obstinate quest for truth by the victims families continues...

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In Cosica the Assembly is moving, posing a clear question

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If there are remains of the plane in the Cap D'Antibe.

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The only real way of knowing if the thesis is true or not is to

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find the wreakage of the plane and verify the point of impact

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Sir are you willing to ask the State to find and investigate the

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remains of the Caravelle?

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Yes I am in agreement to ask the authorities to find and make

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every effort as has been done for the recent Air France crash from Rio.

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and also to de-classify all the documents relating to the search for truth.

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The government through the Minister for Justice says they have

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no plans to search for the wreakage.

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To protest the Corsican Assembly has mooted a subscription??

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in order to find private funding to find the plane.

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The operation could cost 2 million euro, confirms Michelle

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Tomray a specialist in marine geology. He says that even

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after 40 the rust would not have ruined the wreakage.

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the technique he employs allows him to be very precise as

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when he found another plane weakage in the Med..

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We do a ecography underwater...we can map and we can if

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the resolution is carefully chosen see great detail.

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The government underlines that only a judicial decision can allow research

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For many years the Association has made several attempts, in particular

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a case of involuntary homicide against the Military,

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All cases will run into the problem of time lapse.

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One of the first things one said to me one had posed????

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State Secrets on the judge.. one has never done this.

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I understand that one needs to find the truth.. but one should

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not have left the time pass like this.

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Its often difficult to find truth in this type of case, especially

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after the event. But you realise 40 years ago.. there are articles...

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yes I read them with interest but I do not see a way in law

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to re-open this affair. I promise you I would if I could ...

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Matthieu and Louis Paoli do not still live in serenity,...

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Whilst one had 95 people dead, a case full on concrete facts.

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We should not talk about time lapse ... its disgraceful.

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Truth, what can time do to truth, it is 40 years we have been searching

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We are in mourning for 43 years and searching for truth..we will find it.

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Just yesterday, the solicitors for the Association have put a

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new case, and feel the case can be re-opened. If the sound recording

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taken in the offices in France3 and a secretary typed a confidential

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report. He then must have missed certain vital elements and this

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puts into question the "time lapse".

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If the judge at the time had heard these recordings, perhaps

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the investigation would not have ended in a non-lieu?

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The fact that obstacles were put in front of the search for truth in this affair.

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The judge must look at all this and decide on this new argument

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and make his decision.

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Meanwhile the Paoli brothers return to the empty family tomb