US spent years sizing-up France’s future presidents
A new trove of US diplomatic and intelligence cables from the 1970s has revealed Washington’s keen interest in internal political battles in France at that time, with particular attention given to the country’s rising political stars.
Made available online by WikiLeaks this week, the 1.7 million cables cover the period from 1973 to 1976. France is mentioned 372,309 times, more than any country other than the United Kingdom.
The cables were previously declassified and had been available exclusively at the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
They depict France as a state desperate to maintain its influence on the global stage, and as a battleground for intense clashes between established and up-and-coming political groups and players.
At the time US diplomats were closely following the career paths of two promising leaders: François Mitterand and Jacques Chirac, both of whom would eventually become French presidents.
http://www.france24.com/en/20130410-wikileaks-france-usa-intelligence-cables-presidents-mitterrand-chirac
