France investigates leak of documents related to President Hollande

The prosecutor's office has begun an investigation into whether documents found on French President Francois Hollande's desk in front of reporters could harm national security.

French President Francois Hollande. Photo: balkaneu

The investigation concerns an article published in Le Monde on 24 August in which two reporters recalled a meeting three years ago with Mr Hollande, who was waiting for US President Barack Obama to decide on airstrikes against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, following a chemical attack in Ghouta on 21 August 2013 that killed more than 300 people.

The journalists’ account of the period from April 2012 to July 2016, when they met Mr Hollande about 60 times, appears in the book. They describe being in the president’s office with papers marked “top secret” on his desk, according to Reuters.

"Hollande referred to a specific document. We have a copy. It was written by his chief of staff the day before, August 29. It detailed the timing of the French air strike. It was a manual for the French intervention," the article said. They also published excerpts from the document, describing the operation, in which Rafale fighter jets would fly from a French base in Abu Dhabi, launching five Scalp missiles at Syrian bases if Mr. Hollande approved.

The operation did not take place because Mr Obama ultimately decided not to attack. The Paris prosecutor's office said yesterday that the Ministry of Defense had been asked to confirm whether the documents were classified and to consider the extent of the damage to national security.

The investigation could cast a shadow over Mr Hollande, days before he is expected to announce whether he will seek a second term as president. The French president’s office declined to comment.

According to VNE