PARIS Dec 2, 2005 — Two flights chartered by the CIA made stopovers in France in 2002 and 2005, French newspaper Le Figaro said Friday, adding to likely questions facing U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when she visits Europe next week.
A French Foreign Ministry official said authorities were checking
with civil aviation authorities whether the flights, first mentioned Thursday in the New York Times and Britain’s Guardian newspaper, did indeed take place.
“It is perfectly possible there were flights,” said spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei. The ministry had previously said it had no knowledge of any CIA flights in France.