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PARIS — A court ruled Thursday that former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin did not take part in a smear campaign against President Nicolas Sarkozy, a verdict that means the two rivals might soon be sparring in the political arena again.
Villepin, a former diplomat known for his 2003 U.N. speech urging the U.S. not to invade Iraq, quickly suggested his acquittal means he is setting his sights on the presidency.
