Posted on 11/07/2005 5:31:57 AM PST by FerdieMurphy
While American soldiers successfully combat terrorists and insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, a widespread insurgency continues in France's emanating from Islamic migrant areas.
The violence and destruction spread across the country yesterday with more than 900 cars torched in one night. Observers, experts in security and police operations, wonder if the French are capable of putting down this insurrection.
French police initiated a helicopter response and claim they arrested close to 200 Muslim rioters. Police commanders and their superiors say they intend to step up action against rioters responsible for 10 nights of violence.
The destruction has spread to the outskirts of other cities around the country – including Toulouse, Rennes, Nantes and Lille – were hit by a wave of arson attacks.
Cases of arson were also observed in parts of central Paris. For instance, a Molotov cocktail consumed four vehicles near a major square, Place de la Republique, while six vehicles went up in smoke in another district..
Despite calls for calm, 918 cars were torched yesterday and 897 the previous day. One American national security expert cynically told this writer that he wouldn't be surprised if the Chirac government surrendered to these homegrown insurgents.
"They [the French] just may hold to their reputation for appeasement and surrender," he said.
Seven police surveillance helicopters armed with high-tech cameras hovered above Paris and other locations in the hopes of pursuing and identifying the the mostly young North African and Arab arsonists, who have taken to setting fires then fleeing the scene, frequently on motor bikes.
Special squads of police trained in special operations smashed through doors in a public housing project in the Paris suburb of Les Mureaux where they arrested youths who had tossed heavy objects, such as supermarket trolleys, on police and on a heavily traveled road.
Over 2,200 more police officers in riot gear and weaponry were deployed to patrol the streets while over 100 additional firefighters were sent to the Paris region under attack.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who's been the target of a great deal of criticism for calling the rioters "scum" and wishing to take a hardline on the rioters, visited a police command headquarters in southern Paris overnight. During an impromptu press conference he said that the gangs responsible for the violence have become increasingly organized. They have been seen using mobile telephones to relay police movements and internet blogs to urge unrest elsewhere.
Overall, over 550 insurgents have been arrested since the riots began, some of them minors found carrying gasoline bombs.
The violence erupted on October 27 when two teenagers, one an African immigrant and the other an Arab, were electrocuted while hiding in an electrical sub-station after fleeing a routine police identity check. The checks are part of France's homeland security strategy. Some left-wing politicians and groups have accused the French police of "Gestapo" tactics when dealing with Muslims, and they've leveled the old standby accusation so familiar to Americans -- racial profiling.
So far no one has been killed during the civil unrest, according to the French government, but at two civilians have been badly burned by Molotov cocktails. They were a firefighter and a handicapped woman who was deserted on board and unable to get off an ambushed bus. An elderly man is reported to be in a coma after being struck by an attacker in a housing project.
They don't have any guns.
Boycott until the French turn power over to the muslim majority.
Nice is already over 50% muslim.
Armed response.
"Rodney King/LA riots."
Yeah, but the rioters burned their own neighborhoods, it's called Urban Renewal.
'Attacking firefighters and handicapped women, but for some reason, they don't deserve to be called "scum."'
Who doesn't think the people who did that should be called scum?
Sorry, didn't read the full story. What a bunch of pathetic losers!
Thanks
Its from HawaiianGecko, he's lurking around somewhere in here
http://www.hawaiiangecko.com/DrinkinCoffee.gif
No riots yet.
While no friend of most Parisians, I do like the French people. Worked with a few from Southern France for awhile, excellent folks.
What do you expect them to do? They're already licking their boots as furiously as they can.
Ever hear the term, shoot to kill?
Of course not. France is 5-10% Muslim. (Even they don't know they exact number) How are they supposed to put down 10% of the population down? France's total population is 60,656,178. That's at least 3 MILLION PEOPLE by conservative estimates.
Actually, they have already reached "critical mass" in parts of France. In the rioting districts, they're >70% of the population, sometimes more. In many others, they're 30-50%. That's way too many.
An American history professor who teaches U.S. ethnic history once noted that one of the contributing factors to the American Revolution was the heavy immigration in the 18th century, much of which was from parts of the British realm that owed weaker allegiance to King George -- lots of Germans from the electorate and its dependencies, lots of Scots and Scots-Irish. Plus a very high colonial birthrate: women in America were having seven to nine children each. Ethnic turnover => political overturn.
It doesn't even have to be ethnic. Peru lost the Tacna District of southern Peru when miners revolted against the Peruvian government. They were Chileans, mostly, and their attachment to Peruvian law and customs was slim to nil. "The flag tends to follow the people."
Texas in 1820-1836, same story.
Lesson the U.S. will eventually learn to our own sorrow.
You can't be Fred Rogers with strangers. It doesn't work.
Depends where you are in America. I would not hold out much hope for Boston, SF or Seattle. The rest of the country would stop it in a heartbeat.
An armed people will always stop acts of violence against themselves. When only scum are armed they are always in control.
I suspect that Le Pen's views might well become ascendant should the government last until an election is possible.
My wife's cousin is doing her Senior year abroard in Paris. Her quote:
'The french think it is blown out of proportion and nobody cares'.
I can picture it:
Sucre blu. the rioters, they are so, how you say? Ah yes, boring.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
