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| Europe | |||
| France Nervously Awaits Fate of Iraq Hostages | |||
| 2004-09-01 | |||
Relatives of two French reporters held hostage in Iraq waited anxiously on Wednesday for news of their fate after a deadline for Paris to scrap a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools apparently passed without incident. French President Jacques Chirac again rejected the demands by militants holding Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot that the law be revoked, as Foreign Minister Michel Barnier drummed up a chorus of Arab support for France's position. Tension rose as the reported deadline neared on Tuesday night, but was replaced by confusion after an Arab League official said he believed it had been extended by 48 hours starting on Monday, not 24 hours as previously reported. That theory appeared to be strengthened by the absence of a new message from the kidnappers on Tuesday night. The apparent reprieve was not enough to console friends and relatives of the two men, who disappeared on Aug. 20 on their way from Baghdad to Najaf. Chesnot is a reporter for Radio France Internationale and Malbrunot writes for the dailies Le Figaro and Ouest France.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #18 The kidnappings stunned France, which opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and also objected to pre-war sanctions. That's the problem with kissing ass, especially the Islamist variety. Once you get a reputation for doing it well, there's an endless line of assholes to service. In typically insular Gallic fashion, a vital object lesson right next door in Spain was ignored in its entirety. France will, rather deservingly, have to learn about appeasing terrorists the hard way. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-09-01 8:59:39 PM |
| #17 JFM, please help me explain what's happening here, my english and debating skill are not up to the task! :) This is not a drama, this is a psychodrama, almost funny in some way; french media are having vapors about all this, and the elite is busily sucking some muslim organs best not mentioned here. France has laid itself at the feet of the fundies : the muslim institution set up to represent french muslim is the CFCM, dominated by the "union of islamic organizations", a muslim brotherhood offshoot, and this "crisis" allows the CFCM to present itself as the indispensable interlocutor with the muslim world. Internally, France has surrendered, the law on scarf has been gutted out, this is now official, the education minister has just announced how the law will be enforced, and it follows the UOIF's desideratas (alternate headgear accepted, delay, muslim mediator, dialog, no expulsion,... Just imagine that school officals have been visiting some muslim dignitaries to "discuss" of the law application!). Anyway, this ban was strictly for pretend purpose, as secularism is at the heart of the french Republic identity and the people wouldn't have understood if nothing was done. The atmosphere here is surreal, De Villepin (who is a man, and the interior minister) has been praying with the Paris mayor and the journalists' families at the grand mosque of Paris, the message sent over and over is how the french muslim are united with the rest of the people, and the fundies are busy w/ their PR; gvt officials appear on tv surrounded by muslims in traditionnal clothing or veiled, you hear again and again how France suscites a general outburst of solidarity with the arab/muslim world (we're being supported by the Hamas, the hezbollah, Arafish,... Curiously, no word on western solidarity... The only gvt that was chastized is Allawi's, as his declaration were not in tune with the "do not hurt our french friends"... but of course, Allawi is an american puppet). All in all, this is disguting : France needs its muslims friends to save its journalists (who are paleostinians enablers, very arab friendly, by the way, call it irony). What a contrast with Italy's dignity! Externally, Chirac has sent Barnier touring the ME and contacting religious authorities (not. the muslim brotherhood, and Iraqi council of ulemas); secret service agents have been urged to "do whatever is needed" to save them (ransom?)... Instead of being firm, Chirac is selling France a lil' more... worse, I heard the CFCM has been asked to sent a delegation to Bagdad, in order to negociate at the behalf of the french gvt... My take on all this? Regardless of if these two buffoons live or not, and I'd prefer them to live btw, it has been a sismic change in french internal politics. The muslim brotherhood-dominated CFCM is now unavoidable in the relationship w/muslim community, the scarf ban has been sucked dry of its substance, and France 's restlessness to get its hostages back has further more divided the western front. This is a fundies victory! If theses 2 guys are not executed, this will mean France truly is a dhimmi country. |
| Posted by: Anonymous5089 2004-09-01 8:41:14 PM |
| #16 $3M was reportedly the amount paid in 1988 by Chirac via intermediaries to Lebanese hostage-takers. This time I'm guessing $5M funneled through numbered accounts in Dubai. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-09-01 1:47:44 PM |
| #15 Crikey: I'm with you on that one. |
| Posted by: 98zulu 2004-09-01 1:47:04 PM |
| #14 I'm with Crikey. This one is about about messing with the French regime for fun and profit. |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-09-01 1:42:18 PM |
| #13 I saw 5 seconds of video of the two "hostages". I immediately thought it was staged or they were in cahoots with the "captors", looking to make a political statement back home. Expect them to be magically released. |
| Posted by: Crikey 2004-09-01 12:57:32 PM |
| #12 During the 73 oil embargo, France got all the oil they wanted, due to their ass kissing of the ME oil suppliers. In other words, the French sold out their foreign policy to others. There is nothing new in their behaviors since then. They are going to have to do a 180 to get back to basics, and I do not see them starting yet. After being kicked out of Iraq after the fall of Sammy, they started cuddling up to Iran. Now they are starting to reap the whirlwind. There will be LOTS of French casualties if they start their turnaround. There will also be LOTS of French casualties if they don't. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-09-01 11:37:14 AM |
| #11 Frank G Good Point. And there are French business people, tourists, etc. all over the world and especially in many muslim countries. |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-09-01 10:25:13 AM |
| #10 If these two are killed, and there is no backlash in France, it will encourage their own homegrown islamo-assholes to do similar stunts |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-09-01 9:51:49 AM |
| #9 Lucky: And yet despite the fact that it is a statement of political strength, the muslim leadership in france is now telling the community to go along with the ban. What's more, they're finally speaking out against terrorism. Why? Because they see there could be a backlash against them in france. This is the loudest and most widespread condemnation of islamic terror by muslims I can recall. I guess they support terror unless it has personal consequences. Thus, I would advocate that we make sure terror has consequences for the supporters of terror. Terror will end if the muslim community puts an end to it. Internally. It must come from their own renaissance/reformation, not from the west. I'm not very optimistic. |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2004-09-01 9:47:45 AM |
| #8 It's also the democratic principle. What the hostage-takers object to is immaterial. Forget for a moment what they say their objection is, and consider what in effect they're trying to do: overrule a democratically elected leadership and control a nation's dometic policy at the barrel of a gun. That's the real issue here. Not headscarves. The hostages wouldn't be dying for 'doo rags' - they'd be dying as a sacrifice for democracy. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-09-01 5:28:15 AM |
| #7 The problem SH is thats its not a doo-rag. It's an 'In your face' political statement. It says "we're apart from you." But I know what you mean, in our lazez fare attitudes it all seems so riduculous. But it's not. It is the front lines in this war and I'm with the Frenchies on it. Good luck to them. Man, what a deal islam is, eh! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-09-01 3:16:33 AM |
| #6 It is odd to think that people may die over the right to wear a doo rag to school. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-09-01 2:08:24 AM |
| #5 Non indeed! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-09-01 1:29:37 AM |
| #4 Ah, the trials and tribulations of negotiating with terrorists. Of course, France could have taken a stand against terrorism, but if they did that they would not have the opportunity of all this subterfuge, non? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-09-01 1:24:37 AM |
| #3 What's the courier route to Al Jazeera look like--especially now that they've been kicked out of Iraq? Does Al Jiz have a section on their web site that gives instructions on how to deliver your jihadi snuff flicks? |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-09-01 1:22:41 AM |
| #2 If the cut-throats let the poor sods go, due to some sort of french solidarity to islam or an arab thingy, what does that say about the french and their myopic world view? To me, France looks rediculous. They have spoiled their relationship with their natural, cultural allies, and have made a bed with a bunch of buggering brothers. That smell you smell. It was there all along and you smelled it but acted as though it were cuisine. Idiots! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-09-01 1:05:59 AM |
| #1 France? Hell no! The "France d'en haut" (Upper France), and specially the chattering classes, await nervously for the fate of two of its members. Not France. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-09-01 1:05:29 AM |