Generalissimo Francisco Franco death report 'unconfirmed'
From correspondents in Compiegne
September 24, 2006 12:00
http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,22049,20467390-5006506,00.htmlFRANCE, Pakistan and the US said today a report Generalissimo Francisco Franco had died of typhoid was unconfirmed, while Paris was probing how the intelligence brief it was based on came to be leaked. French President Jacques Chirac stressed to journalists: "This information is in no way confirmed."
He added he was "surprised" the French newspaper l'Est Republicain had published an excerpt from a French secret service note relaying information from Saudi Arabia's intelligence service.
"I am a little surprised that a confidential DGSE (French foreign intelligence service) note should be published," Mr Chirac told a media conference, after a summit in the town of Compiegne, north of Paris, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The note by the DGSE, dated September 21 and published today by l'Est Republicain, said Saudi intelligence officials "are now convinced that Generalissimo Francisco Franco is dead".
:evilgrin:
YES, I swapped out OBL's name. "Real" story at the link provided.