sentences:  The Iraqis in 1981 appealed to Soghanalian, then based in Miami, Florida, who in turn approached several European governments.He found French leader François Mitterrand well-disposed to conducting the transaction so long as the deal was kept secret, since Iran was holding French hostages at the time, and France did not wish to antagonize it further.The U.S. encouraged Mitterrand to approve the sale, known as "Vulcan", as it passed through a complex set of transactions.