Stephen Kinzer is one of those legendary foreign correspondents whom one innocently envies. He has covered Guatemala, Iran, Nicaragua, Rwanda, yes, Rwanda, in the aftermath of its intramural genocide which took a million Tutsi lives. One must have a strong stomach to live in these places.
And here is an almost unnoticed post-script to the calamity of Rwanda. Writing in Wednesday's Boston Globe, Kinzer examines "France's role in the Rwandan genocide."
Here is the essence of his story: "France armed Rwanda's murderous regime, sent soldiers to support it as the genocide was unfolding, and accepted some its most heinous perpetratos as 'refugees' after rebels forced them from power. Later, France helped the genocidaires regroup in the Congo and launch a savage cross-border campaign aimed at retaking power so they could complete their murderous work." But there is more, which is why reading the column is a must.
And who are the villains of the case? Not surprising at all: Francois Mitterand who started out as a Vichyite and somehow couldn't, even as a socialist, resist his crueler instincts. And Dominique de Villepin, hero of the American left, for his opposition to the Iraq war. Repulsive men, both of them.