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Send In The Mimes Jaques Chirac Jacques Chirac Send In The Mimes Jacques Chirac on Terrorism--pre-Paris riots: "Faced with the threat, with respect for civil liberties and the rule of law, Europe will protect its citizens . . . " "We are completely determined to fight by your side this new type of evil, of absolute evil, which is terrorism. France is prepared and available to discuss all means to fight and eradicate this evil." "I want to tell President Bush, who is my friend, that we bring you the total solidarity of France and the French people. It is a solidarity of the heart." "The international community must rally together to relentlessly fight against terrorism in all its forms. But we must be clear-headed. We must also rally to put an end to conflicts that feed anger and frustration among peoples." "Any amalgam between fanatic terrorist groups on the one hand and the Arab and Muslim world on the other is not only wrong in logic but also dangerous in consequences. We should guard against it." In The Best Tradition Of French Leadership: Bluster, Then Capitulation Just hours after French President Jacques Chirac publicly condemned violence and rioting in Paris, police were fired on by rioters. Last Sunday business owners called on Chirac to summon the military before arsonists begin to attack buildings as well as cars. "The law must have the last word," Chirac said, and vowed that those sowing "violence or fear" will be "arrested, judged and punished." Finally, on November 10, 2005, Chirac gave in and admitted that the rioters were not at fault: France was. "We need to respond in a strong and quick way to the unquestionable problems that many inhabitants of the deprived neighborhoods surrounding our cities are facing." Then, in an effort to strike fear into the miscreants, Chirac added, "Whatever our origins, we are all the children of the Republic, and we can all expect the same rights." Apparently in a effort to enforce this point, the French Interior Ministry suspended two police officers suspected of dealing "unwarranted blows" to a man taken in for questioning, as well as six officers who reportedly witnessed the incident. When asked what to do about the continuing riots, the French president issued an order for the police to round up the usual suspects: racial discrimination; poverty; lack of cultural inclusion; and lack of jobs. In an effort to discourage future violent rampages, Chirac mandated that the authorities engage in dialogue with the rioters and show proper respect for them. Finally, showing a firmness of spine usually absent in French physiology, Chirac also ordered an inquiry into the death of the two youths, the event which inspired the riots - which even the rioters admit was accidental. Viva La France |
