Friday, May 6, 2016

This French Defense Minister Has Sold Billions In Arms

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian sits in a Rafale B jet fighter during a visit at the factory of French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in Merignac, near Bordeaux, southwestern France, January 10, 2014. REUTERS/BENOIT TESSIER

France 24: France's salesman: The quiet minister who sold billions in subs and jets

France's Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the man behind a string of lucrative military contracts won by French contractors, is an oddity in the cabinet of President François Hollande: he is popular, successful, and a purveyor of good news.

When soft-spoken François Hollande came to power in 2012, ending France's 17-year wait for a left-wing leader, few could have foreseen his metamorphosis into one of the most bellicose French presidents in modern history – one who would order military interventions in a range of African and Middle Eastern theatres. Nor was his reserved, bespectacled defence minister, a former professor and school inspector, expected to become the country’s most accomplished arms dealer.

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WNU Editor: In an industry that is dominated by the U.S. and to a lesser degree Russia .... the French have certainly made a name for themselves.

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