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tjadams
Chieftain
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Topic: Paul Touvier: WWII War Criminal Posted: 12-Jan-2012 at 21:19 |
I happened across the National Geographic Channel and they were airing a show, Nazi Hunters (The Villain of Lyon), and its subject was the Frenchman Paul Touvier. I'm not a huge a WWII buff so I had not heard of Monsieur Touvier and his crimes while working for the Nazi. I was a little surprised at the allegations that the Catholic Church aided his post-war life.
Edited by tjadams - 12-Jan-2012 at 21:21
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Nick1986
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Posted: 13-Jan-2012 at 19:47 |
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He wasn't the only one to escape justice. Maurice Papon deported 1600 Jews to the concentration camps but was given important official positions after the war. He tortured captured Algerian terrorists and ordered the French police to massacre protesters in 1961
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Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
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tjadams
Chieftain
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Posted: 13-Jan-2012 at 22:31 |
The war fugitives from justice, often living in plain site, with local support
or through ignorance, is an amazing tale of hiding in plain sight.
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Cryptic
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Posted: 17-Jan-2012 at 11:11 |
Originally posted by tjadams
The war fugitives from justice, often living in plain site, with local support
or through ignorance, is an amazing tale of hiding in plain sight. |
Post war left wing verse right wing socio economic and political rivalries prevented French, Dutch, Belgian etc. collaborators, war criminals, and a-political traitors from being aggressively pursued. This is especially true because most of these men were on the uhmmm.... "right" side of the equation and were supported by those who feared that trials of right wingers would strenghthen left wing rivals.
Another factor was the embarrassingly high numbers of collaborators (direct and indirect). Men like Touvier announced that if they went on trial, they would "name alot of names" in their defense. Some of the potential revelations even crossed the post war political divide. For example, left wing trade unionists who regularly informed on right wing resistance members.
In the end, due to local support and a desire to avoid embarassment, the trials were constantly delayed as investigations ran into "complications".
Edited by Cryptic - 18-Jan-2012 at 11:46
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Centrix Vigilis
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Posted: 17-Jan-2012 at 20:03 |
In the end, due to local support and a desire to avoid embarassment, the trials were constantly delayed as investigations ran into "complications". The solution was and remains his 'disappearance' viz a coordinated joint intell op by those with potential to be embarrased. Then you leak it to the press. Everybody happy.
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''If the regulars are to be put together, I believe they would prefer me to the other Cavalry Commanders.''
John Buford BG USA
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Cryptic
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Posted: 18-Jan-2012 at 12:39 |
Originally posted by Centrix Vigilis
The solution was and remains his 'disappearance' viz a coordinated joint intell op by those with potential to be embarrased.
Then you leak it to the press.
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I think the post war French ended up focusing all of their "disappearing person" and "water boarded as a punishment / warning" intelligence activities on Algeria, not on WWII collaborators.
My very vague understanding is that the Algeria issue got so divisive and so nasty that the various French intelligence services and elite units were ordering treason based torture interrogations and maybe even "disappereances" on each other.
Edited by Cryptic - 18-Jan-2012 at 12:42
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Centrix Vigilis
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Posted: 18-Jan-2012 at 17:01 |
The French have a tradition of losing control and performing superb gaffes.....note what I wrote. ''coordinated joint intell op by those with potential to be embarrased.'' Joint action lessens the potential for the operation to be one of revenge vs. what ever other reason demands it's implementation....and hence spinning out of control. Had a joint security force, for example, been in place at Abu G.....the probability of abuse and then leaking it to the press...would have been at much smaller risk.
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**********************
''If the regulars are to be put together, I believe they would prefer me to the other Cavalry Commanders.''
John Buford BG USA
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