Editor,RE: "Debunking Bruguiere’s fictions” (The New Times, October 26).

Jean-Luis Bruguiere of course was never interested in investigating, in its meaning of systematic examination or search for facts related to the issue under investigation.

First, because his political masters never needed to learn anything about facts of an event whose planning and commission they were closely involved. Secondly, because in fact his and his masters’ overarching interest was to ensure that the truth about who really brought down Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane should never publicly come out.

His only assignment was to use pseudo-judicial processes (in reality use a mock investigatory approach that dispensed with all the basic rules of a criminal investigation) to find anyone from among embittered former RPA officials, especially former soldiers who might be willing on a quid pro quo basis—or for whatever other reason—to agree to corroborate ‘evidence’ cooked up in Paris to point a finger of blame for bringing down the aircraft away from the French to the RPA.

Bruguire’s was nothing more nor less than warfare through a classic intelligence operation. It was less about the truth of facts and more what you could make to seem as plausible. And this is easiest when you control more conveyor belts of information (those directly under your control—AFP, the rest of the French media), and those on which you have strong influence (most western media, international agencies, think tanks and NGOs) than your opponent.

The French, like their western brethren, operate on the basis of belief that ‘power makes right.’ They are firm believers in what the ancient Athenian historian and general said about 2500 years ago: "Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”

We need to strive harder to reduce our weakness so as to put a stop to the likes of Bruguiere and his masters seeing us as being on their menu.

Mwene Kalinda