WHO'S A ROGUE STATE?:

French troops in Ivorian capital: Many residents' houses have been destroyed (BBC, 23 September, 2002)

French troops have reached the Ivory Coast's capital, Yamoussoukro, as they seek to protect French and other foreign nationals caught up in a coup attempt which began on Thursday.

The convoy of dozens of vehicles left the main Ivorian city of Abidjan late on Sunday, hours after France had flown up to 200 reinforcements, drawn from its other bases in West Africa.

France describes the move as a "precautionary measure", and it is thought the troops will set up a forward base to be able to stage evacuations, if necessary, from nearby Bouake, Ivory Coast's second city, which on Monday morning still remained in rebel hands.

Anyone care to take a crack at how this unilateral act against a nation which offers no threat to France's national security differs from our proposed action against Iraq? Did they seek EU and UN permission first? Posted by Orrin Judd at September 23, 2002 9:26 AM