According to the New Zealand Herald, the Greenpeace organization is noticibly upset that a French foreign intelligence (DGSE) officer linked to the 1985 bombing of their ship in a New Zealand harbor has escaped again:

…executive director Bunny McDiarmid – a Rainbow Warrior crew member the day it was bombed – said it was not worthwhile pursuing extradition. She believed there was little hope the French secret agents who carried out the bombing would be brought to justice.

She said whoever did the bombing was getting away with murder.

“It seems that there are two types of terrorists these days; the state terrorists being the ones who get away with it.

The article goes on to explain that the majority of French probably would have supported the operation at the time and now do not feel strongly enough to support extradition of the bomber. Their concern is apparently how the attack was carried out, and perhaps how it was uncovered by the public, but not that it happened:

in France, the Rainbow Warrior bombing is viewed distantly, as an ill-starred act of state that happened more than 20 years ago, and not with the same lingering sense of outrage as in New Zealand, where it was the first act of foreign terrorism.

Some French people are angry at their Government’s arrogance and the coverup. But it would be fair to say that most have consigned the operation to history, given that France apologised, paid compensation and the President under whom it all happened, Francois Mitterrand, has been in his grave for more than a decade.