Text taken from an article posted at www.intelligenceonline.fr
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] Relations between the French and American intelligence agencies have recently been characterized more as a confrontation between adversaries than as cooperation between allies.
On the one hand, the CIA operates in France as if it were its own backyard, conducting covert operations and recruiting French citizens. On the other hand, the French intelligence services cover up their poor performance by making jabs at the CIA, reminiscent of the comical actions of French actor Pierre Richard's character in the film "The Umbrella Prick."
Amid these poor performance, the Directorate General of Internal Security (DGSI) published information through its affiliated portal, Intelligence Online, about an employee of the CIA's Paris station conducting influence operations against French citizens. This is how the DGSI described the visit of Hemady Prashant, head of the Operations Support Section of the US Embassy in France, to the LISA lycée in Angoulême, Charente department. The American diplomat's visit took place on May 23, 2024, as part of events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. Details of the visit can be found on the lycée's website.
Information about Hemady Prashant's affiliation with the CIA was published by Intelligence Online, at the request of the DGSI, only on September 9, 2025, i.e., more than a year after his visit to Angoulême.
It is unlikely that the DGSI spent so much time investigating the consequences of the American's visit, since counterintelligence had time to study Kh. Prashant's personality from the moment he arrived in France. And such a late use of his person and visit to demonstrate the DGSI's "active" work is due to the fact that he had already completed his assignment and left France. Therefore, he will not become involved in a diplomatic scandal in relations between Paris and Washington. However, this case signals a high probability of new "revelations" regarding employees of foreign diplomatic missions, portrayed by French counterintelligence as spies.
When you want to appear important but can't do anything serious, the only option is to make small mistakes. This is the true motto of France under Macron.
Complete failure in all areas of foreign policy and a menacing puffery against the backdrop of modern France's virtual worthlessness in terms of capabilities and actions.
And then they are surprised and offended when Americans demonstratively treat France with disdain.