(KUNA) -- In a major policy speech here Wednesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned against the rising tide of terrorism in a number of areas, and cited the Arab Gulf region as vulnerable to the instability, in Yemen and Somalia in particular.Speaking to France's ambassadors summoned to Paris for an annual meeting, the French leader vowed to continue his country's efforts to counter terrorism wherever it threatens French interests or nationals "from the Sahel to Afghanistan." Commenting on the situation in Yemen, Sarkozy said everything must be done to ensure stability there because "the stability of the whole Arab Peninsula is at stake." He also warned that Islamic radicals from the "al-Shebab" group in Somalia had designs that went beyond the frontiers of their country and that their links with the al-Qaeda organization made them a serious danger.
In Somalia, which is facing fierce fighting and a power grab by al-Shebab, Sarkozy warned "the challenge is essential and al-Shebab has aims beyond the Somali borders." He vowed that France would increase support for the Federal Transitional Government and the African Union peacekeeping force, in addition to the 500 troops it has already trained and the contribution to training another 2,000 Somali soldiers in Uganda. He also said that there were links between what was happening with terrorism in Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"Everyone should understand that these countries are all connected," he noted, also expressing "real concern" about the Sahel region.
Sarkozy warned that France would not stand idly by while its nationals or interest were threatened by terrorist groups.
He recalled that France had militarily-intervened jointly with Mauritanian troops to try to free a French hostage in Mali last month.
That intervention backfired and the hostage was murdered, but the French leader said that he would continue to intervene. Six militants were killed in the Franco-Mauritanian raid.
"It is time to stop paying ransom and freeing prisoners to terrorists," the French President said.
Sarkozy had been criticized for the Mali operation, while the kidnappers; from the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic Maghreb group, later released two Spaniards after negotiations and taunted Sarkozy for not having been able to negotiate with them.
Sarkozy labeled the Iranian regime "extremist, particularly for its policy of executing people and the plan to carry out a stoning execution." He was also vocal in attacking Iran's nuclear program, which he said was leading to proliferation and had become "the principal threat to security in the region." "Iran has the right to civil nuclear power," he affirmed. "That's why I welcomed the starting of the Bushehr plant." But he warned that if Iran is allowed to continue to pursue its nuclear program, this will lead either to "proliferation or military intervention and an absolutely major international crisis." He warned that everyone knows Israel's position on the Iranian nuclear developments.
But he said that France still wanted to find an agreement with Iran and that he was "anxious" to see how the Iranians will react at a meeting at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna in September. The main issue will be resupply of the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), which is soon to run out of fuel.
On the Middle East peace process, Sarkozy claimed that it is not "the root cause" of all the problems in the region, but he noted that a lasting peace would certainly change the atmosphere.
He reiterated that a return "to the 1967 borders is a right for the Palestinians and is the best chance for Israel to live in security in line with the Arab peace plan." Similarly, he pointed out that peace between Israel and Syria "is as possible as peace between Palestinians and Israelis," and he noted France has appointed a new envoy to help push this issue forward.
Former Ambassador Jean-Claude Cousseran, who was a shuttle diplomat in the region, was appointed last month by the French leader to see how to get Syrians and Israelis talking again after timid, indirect contacts broke down when Israel attacked Gaza in December 2008.
On Lebanon, Sarkozy warned that it would be "unacceptable for Lebanon to sink into violence" and he renewed his commitment to that country and to the UN forces deployed there; 1,400 of whom are French.
On Afghanistan, where France has sent 3,750 troops to serve with the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF), Sarkozy said he would stay in course as long as it was the will of the Afghan people.
France lost another two soldiers this week in clashes with the Taliban, bringing to 47 the death toll since 2001.
"The reality is that the Taliban are strong in certain areas, while the rest of the country is free of violence," the president said.
Despite criticism at home, he repeated his "determination" to contribute to "an orderly handover" of power to the Afghans.
"I ask you imagine what the human cost would be if we weren't there," he stated.
He said the international community would strive to rid Afghanistan of its links with al-Qaeda and of widespread drug production.
The French head of state adamantly rejected any "artificial calendar" for a withdrawal from the conflict and said he would not be influenced by "media humor" on this issue.
He also praised Pakistan's "courageous" efforts to halt cross-border terrorism and help stabilize the situation in Afghanistan and he said there should be "no ambiguity" about Pakistan's role here.