IGNACE WODECKI

One of the earliest and most long-standing members of the GIGN, Ignace Wodecki participated in the mission to Mecca because he was a seasoned explosives specialist. The son of Polish emigrants to France, Ignace was known as a serious and applied fellow. This is why GIGN chief Christian Prouteau designated him for the delicate mission to the Holiest Shrine of Islam. He was the "calming corrective" for team leader Paul Barril's effevescence of action. When the plan was made to use a special gas to neutralise the insurgents in the mosque's basement, it was Wodecki who chose the equipment for that action.