What Was The Rainbow Warrior?

Several ships owned by the environmental group Greenpeace have borne the name Rainbow Warrior. The first ship to bear the name was famously blown up by French intelligence agents while docked in New Zealand, as it was preparing to participate in protests relating to French nuclear testing in the South Pacific. One Greenpeace member drowned as the ship sunk following the explosions.

The French government was immediately suspected but issued strenuous denials of its involvement. Two Frenchmen, who were presumed to be intelligence agents, were arrested in New Zealand as they returned a rented vehicle.

An official inquiry was held into the incident in France. It concluded that the French government had had nothing to do with the incident but its report was greeted with scorn worldwide. Eventually, another inquiry was held which reached the opposite conclusion. France acknowledged its culpability. Some members of the French government resigned or were dismissed.

The two Frenchmen arrested in New Zealand pled guilty to charges of manslaughter and were sentenced to ten years imprisonment but, as part of a deal arrived at between the French and New Zealand governments, under which some financial compensation was paid by France, the two prisoners were handed over to French custody.