French intelligence on Libya

Quand il pleuvra des bombes, dites merci aussi à Total

Bronte Capital, Friday, March 11, 2011
French intelligence on Libya
The Libyan National Oil Company website - like the internet in Libya generally - is down.

Below I have copied a section (from the Google Cache) on relationships with Total - the Paris based oil major. It is clear that Total is thick with the Gadaffi regime.

So it comes as a big surprise to see Total (ahem the French Government) recognizing the Libyan rebels as a legitimate nation and exchanging ambassadors. France does not sell arms to rebels or terrorists. Recognition of the rebels as a nation is a basis for supplying them weapons.

France has gone further and is the major proponent of a no-fly zone. It has also advocated bombing Libya.

Given the very substantial French oil interests in Libya it is absurd to think that Sarkozy (first and foremost a French Nationalist) did this without either the tacit acceptance of Total or without Total's interests in mind.

France is not keen to go to war (even with jets and no casualties) in support of American oil companies. They think differently about their own oil companies.

Anyway I think we can conclude that Total (ahem the French Government) has a very different view of the outcome in Libya to that which I am getting in American and Australian media. Moreover given the very strong presence of Total in North Africa I suspect their intelligence is better than the CIA and far better than (say) the New York Times.

Just noting.

Also noting that Britain is joining the French in calling for EU recognition. Maybe BP also has a few tricks up their sleeve.