WikiLeaks: US ambassador planned “retaliation” against France over ban on Monsanto corn

Truth Out reports:

The former United States ambassador to France suggested “moving to retaliation” against France and the European Union (EU) in late 2007 to fight a French ban on Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) corn and changes in European policy toward biotech crops, according to a cable released by WikiLeaks on Sunday.

Former Ambassador Craig Stapleton was concerned about France’s decision to suspend cultivation of Monsanto’s MON-810 corn and warned that a new French environmental review standard could spread anti-biotech policy across the EU.

“Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that also focuses in part on the worst culprits,” Stapleton wrote to diplomatic colleagues.

President George W. Bush appointed Stapleton as ambassador to France in 2005, and in 2009, Stapleton left the office and became an owner of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. Bush and Stapleton co-owned the Texas Rangers during the 1990s.

Monsanto is based in St. Louis.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Facebooktwittermail

One thought on “WikiLeaks: US ambassador planned “retaliation” against France over ban on Monsanto corn

  1. Norman

    Who said that the Military of the U.S. was at the disposal of the American Business elite? Yet, the same Business have U.S.Government paid welfare along with the Military perk. I guess the recent S.C.O.T.U.S. interpretation of Business being equal to the citizens in standing, legitimizes the use of the Military to defend the interests of U.S.Businesses. By hook or crook, crook being the preferred method. I wonder how the Business cartel would take it if the U.S. declared bankruptcy, replaced the Dollar with say the stone, thereby rendering all present dollars worthless, outside the confines of the U.S.A.? Now that would be an interesting scenario to behold. Sure would cause a drastic redistribution of wealth now, wouldn’t it!

Comments are closed.