November 1, 2005
GOTTA ADD THE NATIONALIST TO THE SOCIALIST:
French official defends policies despite rioting (Washington Times, November 1, 2005)
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy defended his tough anti-crime policies yesterday after a fourth night of riots in a Paris suburb, in which tear gas was fired into a mosque during evening prayers. [...]
Mr. Sarkozy, who made his name by cutting crime figures during a first stint as interior minister from 2002 to 2004, later discussed the unrest with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, a potential rival in the 2007 race.
Critics accuse Mr. Sarkozy of pandering to the far right with his tough rhetoric on crime, and say his tough talk is feeding tensions between youths and the police while failing to cut crime in run-down suburbs -- many of them high-immigration areas facing chronic poverty, high unemployment and poor economic prospects.
During a highly publicized visit last week to Argenteuil, a suburb northwest of the capital, Mr. Sarkozy was pelted with stones and bottles as he outlined a new government plan to root out crime from the neighborhood.
A local human rights group has described Mr. Sarkozy's talk of "cleaning up" the suburbs as a "provocation" that helped explain the escalation of violence over the weekend.
Shooting Muslims is not harmful to a European politician's job prospects.. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 1, 2005 7:22 AM
Let them eat all the cake they can loot.
Posted by: Genecis at November 1, 2005 10:45 AMShooting Muslims isn't harmful to an American politician's prospects either.
Posted by: Brandon at November 1, 2005 11:11 AMThe French had to leave Algeria when it became independent, irrespective of how long they lived there because the Algerians simply didn't want them. It's quite possible the Arabs will have to leave France for the same reason.
Posted by: Chris Durnell at November 1, 2005 11:39 AMwe are ready to get rid of the arabs in france, but the germans are behind schedule on their part of the plan.
Posted by: Vischy at November 1, 2005 1:58 PMI think the violence would have to become much worse before the French would even think of getting rid of the Muslims in their midst. They hate us so much that they'll tolerate Muslims so long they keep giving us a hard time.
Posted by: tefta at November 1, 2005 2:19 PMChris: Seems more likely that it is the French who will have to leave France for the same reason...
Posted by: b at November 1, 2005 3:38 PM