At the specially composed assize court in Paris,
The subject is particularly delicate and all those who engage in it do so quietly. Every word is measured, weighed, so as not to spark controversy, or worse yet, disrespect a dead person. A heroic figure, at that. The question, however, could not be completely avoided by the special assize court which judges the attacks in Trèbes and Carcassonne: could the intervention of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame have complicated the Super U assault? The soldier voluntarily took the place of Julie, a young woman who was being held by the terrorist Radouane Lakdim. “The fact of exchanging with a hostage is not at all part of the procedures, it is an error in the military sense but it is an act of heroic courage,” the witness finally summed up. former GIGN negotiator, David Corona.
This March 23, 2018, when the “Charlie Tango 11” plan was launched – for counter-terrorism in the Aude department – Major Anthony Garcia, at the head of the surveillance and intervention platoon (PSIG) of Carcassonne is among the first to arrive on the scene. CCTV images show two victims lying on the ground and numerous hostages. The terrorist, holed up with the cashier in the safe room, shouts Allah Akbar. Intervention is necessary. The protocol is clear: release as many hostages as possible and “fix” the terrorist so that he cannot move. Then wait for the specialized services, in this case the GIGN.
“I ask him to stay behind the shelves”
While he and his men evacuate the hostages, the major is surprised to see that Arnaud Beltrame, deputy officer of the Aude gendarmerie group, is also in the supermarket. These two specialists in the fight against terrorism know each other well, they even exchanged a few words in front of the video surveillance images but Colonel Beltrame was, that day, not equipped for such an intervention. “I ask him to stay behind the shelves in order to protect himself,” explains the soldier, straight as an “i” at the bar. In front of the door to the vault, a negotiation begins between Major Garcia and Radouane Lakdim. More for form than in the hope of obtaining a surrender. “In this type of mass killing, negotiations are futile,” specifies the gendarme.
According to his account, the colonel nevertheless quickly joined him and “took matters in hand”. “He decides to have an exchange with the cashier. I tell him no, you shouldn’t do that. » But Arnaud Beltrame puts down his weapon and rushes into the room while the young cashier is released. “One might believe that replacing a civilian with a gendarme is preferable, because there would be a possibility of action, but the fact of being replaced does not bring anything more,” explains Major Garcia. His gesture is all the more surprising given that during this substitution, the situation was “frozen”. Apart from the cashier held by the terrorist, all the hostages had been evacuated, the attacker was holed up in a room, the GIGN – both the local and national branch – was on its way.
” Attack ! Assault! Assault! »
From this closed session of almost three hours, we will know practically nothing. The GIGN negotiator only managed to reach them a few minutes before the final assault. “Colonel Beltrame has a tense voice but we feel he is ready for action,” he explains on the stand. Radouane Lakdim calls for the release of Salah Abdeslam but a dull noise is heard. The negotiator struggles to understand the situation. In reality, the colonel just yelled “Attack!” Assault! Assault! » “We suppose that Arnaud Beltrame took his chance and jumped at the terrorist’s throat,” he analyzes retrospectively. But his words are not understood. The assault will not be given until very long minutes later. Seriously injured in the throat, Arnaud Beltrame died in the night in hospital.
“I think that for him, by replacing a civilian, it became a problem between a soldier and a terrorist, it was no longer the same nature of crisis,” continues Colonel Sébastien Gay, the commander of the gendarmerie group, the chef of Arnaud Beltrame. But he himself admits, “it is not because the nature of the hostage has changed that the mission has changed. » And to insist: “A hostage remains a hostage. » On this point, the former head of the GIGN negotiation unit, David Corona, is more nuanced. “It would have been an advantage in any other situation except in the face of a terrorist whose aim is to kill a soldier, the value [de l’otage] increase. »