Soldiers Used as ‘Guinea Pigs’ for French Nuclear Tests

Report confirms that the French army deliberately exposed soldiers and local civilians to massive radiation in Algeria.
Soldiers Used as ‘Guinea Pigs’ for French Nuclear Tests
French Patrice Bouveret, President of the Observatoire des Armements (weapons observatory) shows on Feb. 16, the classified report handed over anonymously to the observatory, concerning the six French nuclear tests in Algeria (1960-1966). (Thierry Zoccolan/AFP/Getty Images)
2/17/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/FRANCEC.jpg" alt="French Patrice Bouveret, President of the Observatoire des Armements (weapons observatory) shows on Feb. 16, the classified report handed over anonymously to the observatory, concerning the six French nuclear tests in Algeria (1960-1966).  (Thierry Zoccolan/AFP/Getty Images)" title="French Patrice Bouveret, President of the Observatoire des Armements (weapons observatory) shows on Feb. 16, the classified report handed over anonymously to the observatory, concerning the six French nuclear tests in Algeria (1960-1966).  (Thierry Zoccolan/AFP/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1822942"/></a>
French Patrice Bouveret, President of the Observatoire des Armements (weapons observatory) shows on Feb. 16, the classified report handed over anonymously to the observatory, concerning the six French nuclear tests in Algeria (1960-1966).  (Thierry Zoccolan/AFP/Getty Images)

PARIS—A confidential report confirms that the French army deliberately exposed its soldiers and local civilians to massive radiation in Algeria, in the 1960s, says French newspaper Le Parisien. The aim was to study the effects of the bomb on humans.

The revelation came out just as France was marking 50 years since its first nuclear explosion, Feb. 13, 1960, in the North African Sahara desert. A total of 17 bombs were tested between 1960 and 1966, exposing hundreds of soldiers and an estimated 30,000 Algerian civilians to harmful radiation.

Le Parisien
broke the story on Tuesday, disclosing the content of a confidential military report that shows soldiers were deliberately exposed to radiation. The aim was “to study physiological and psychological effects produced on man by nuclear weapons, so as to obtain necessary information to physically and mentally prepare modern warriors.”

In an excerpt titled “Gerboise verte,” (green jerboa) from the name of the last open air nuclear test on April 25, 1961, the report explains that French soldiers were sent to within 900 feet of where a bomb was detonated in an experiment to “study the possibility of launching an attack in contaminated zones.” One conclusion from the study was that soldiers should in such situations not wear gas mask but only surgical masks, so as to ensure easier communication.

French Defense Minister Hervé Morin said to Le Parisien that he was not aware of the report, but claimed that radiation levels soldiers had been exposed to was low. Quoted by France Info radio, the minister said, “There is nothing new in this report, the ministry disclosed all of this in 2007. That was another time and we would of course not do things the same today. All of this happened 50 years ago and we cannot analyze this with our 2010 vision. The life of these soldiers was not put at risk.”
Yet, Jean-Paul Tessonnier, a lawyer representing the affected veterans, thinks the report could have a big impact on calculating compensation amounts.

In December last year, the French Parliament passed a new law offering compensation to thousands of army veterans, many of whom claim they developed cancer or other related diseases as a consequence of radiation exposure.

According to Tessonnier, the official position of France has always been that radioactive contamination was unintentional collateral damage. The long debate over the amount of compensation has always been calculated on this basis, but the story would be different if it is confirmed that the exposure was intentional.

Patrice Bouveret from the National Armaments Observatory, added that the new data from the report shows that soldiers were intentionally exposed then sent home without further medical checks.

For Ammar Mansouri, a researcher at the Nuclear Research Center of Algeria wants France to fully own up to what it did in the Sahara.

“It is time for the French government to be transparent on the nuclear tests in Algerian Sahara and the dramatic consequences they had on populations and on the environment,” Mansouri told AFP.
Mansouri says he wants the relevant documents declassified to put everything in the open.

“Contrarily to France’s official position, there have been 57 explosions, not 17, because 40 additional tests were performed using plutonium,” Mansouri said.