nuclear-news

“Atomic Annie” spills the beans on Sarkozy’s plan to sell nukes to Gaddafi

Anne Lauvergeon, former chief executive of Areva, said in an interview published on Tuesday on the website of L’Express weekly that Sarkozy proposed in July 2007 to sell a nuclear reactor to the Gaddafi government

Ex-Areva head said Sarkozy hoped to sell Gaddafi nuclear-report http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/10/france-areva-idUSL6E8FA5QU20120410
  PARIS,    By Alexandria Sage; edited by Andrew Roche Apr 10, 2012
(Reuters) – The former head of France’s state-controlled nuclear group Areva accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy of wanting to try to sell nuclear power to Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya at least until the summer of 2010, according to a news report.

Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, was overthrown and killed in
October by rebels backed by a NATO force in which French warplanes
played a major role.

Anne Lauvergeon, former chief executive of Areva, said in an interview
published on Tuesday on the website of L’Express weekly that Sarkozy
proposed in July 2007 to sell a nuclear reactor to the Gaddafi
government to be used to desalinate ocean water.

Lauvergeon said she opposed the idea “vigorously”.

“The state, which was supposed to be responsible, was supporting this
folly,” Lauvergeon said. “Imagine, if we’d done it, how it would look
now!”

Lauvergeon said she had another meeting on the subject with an advisor
to Sarkozy and the head of France’s state-owned power company, EDF in
2010.

Lauvergeon was ousted last June after 10 years at the helm of Areva,
the world’s biggest nuclear reactor maker.

Lauvergeon reproached the president, who is facing an uphill battle to
secure a second term, for organizing a “clan” system within the French
nuclear network.

“This system touted low-end nuclear abroad and proposed transfering
our global intellectual property rights to the Chinese and selling
nuclear in countries where it was not reasonable,” Lauvergeon said.
She said that Sarkozy offered her a position in his government after
being elected in 2007, but she refused.

April 11, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, secrets,lies and civil liberties