France’s Terrorism Strategy Faulted

New York Times ^ | July 3, 2008 | Elaine Sciolino

[reaganaut1]

PARIS — France’s much-praised system of using sweeping arrests and aggressive interrogations and prosecutions to combat terrorism violates the rule of law and prevents suspects from receiving a fair trial, according to a human rights report released Wednesday.

France prides itself on having the most efficient counterterrorism strategy in Europe. French counterterrorism officials insist that the flexibility of French law and the French judicial system has been crucial in their ability to respond to the threat of international terrorism and has helped prevent attacks on French soil.

But an 84-page report issued by New-York-based Human Rights Watch, entitled “Preempting Justice,” argues that that French practices result in too many arrests and convictions based on scanty evidence, putting the country “on the wrong side of the law.”

Specifically, the reports states that the broad and much-used charge of “criminal association in relation to a terrorist undertaking” is so sweeping that it is in essence “guilt by association” that allows authorities to arrest and interrogate large numbers of people even when they have nothing to do with suspected terrorist activity.

The charge is used in a number of other countries in continental Europe. Spain, for example, uses the charge much more aggressively than France, particularly against the Basque separatist group ETA.

“No specific terrorist act need be planned, much less executed, to give rise to the offense,” the report says, adding that even family members, friends, neighbors and casual acquaintances can be detained.

[reaganaut1]

Even the French are right sometimes.

[San Jacinto]

“The increased risk that you, your spouse, your children or your grandchildren may be blown to pieces while traveling to work or school or a vacation, is a small price to pay in order to live in a society where radical malcontents will not be subject to unwanted annoyance or embarrassment.”—

Human Rights Watch

[Libertarianize the GOP]

French authorities have been highly critical of the United States for holding detainees at Guantánamo indefinitely, without according them the rights guaranteed by American law, and failing to bring them to trial.

The Europeans criticism of America has nothing to do with our tactics, they criticize us when ever we take independent action looking out for our best interest. When you are a second rate power the only way you can feel superior is to criticize your betters and hope to alter their behavior there by showing that you aren't just a third rate power.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

If the Times opposes it, it must be good.