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| Europe |
| Chirac survives assassination attempt |
| 2002-07-14 |
| French President Jacques Chirac has survived an assassination attempt. The potentially fatal breach of security occurred when a man pulled a rifle out of a guitar case while Chirac was inspecting troops during the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris. The gunman fired at least one shot before being arrested. The man was a right-wing extremist who intended to kill the French president, said Government minister Patrick Devedjian. A statement issued on behalf of the Paris police force said the 25-year-old was a member of "neo-Nazi and hooligan" groups, while France 2 television reported that he had a history of emotional problems. The two are hardly exclusive... The man's motives for attacking the centre-right leader were not immediately known. Ummm... Lemme guess...? In a traditional televised Bastille Day interview, which took place after the parade, President Chirac was not asked about the assassination attempt and did not mention it. Instead, he called for a radical tightening of France's asylum laws and called for the French military to be strengthened. Good idea. And strengthen the coppers and the Surete as well. Clean up those "neo-Nazi and hooligan" groups, while you're at it. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |