Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla at an event in Mumbai on Monday to remember the 26/11 victims. (Reuters)
Posted on 12/07/2010 11:08:39 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Obama dallied, Sarko shoots
SATISH NANDGAONKAR
Mumbai, Dec. 7: If US President Barack Obama took almost 24 hours to utter the P-word in Mumbai, Nicolas Sarkozy was much quicker.
First Lady Carla Bruni by his side in a white dress, the French President named Pakistan in front of 26/11 victims and condemned it for not reining in terror groups during his five-hour stopover today.
“It is unacceptable for Afghanistan and for our troops that the Taliban and al Qaida find safe havens in the border regions of Pakistan. We know the price the Pakistani people are paying for terrorism. But it is unacceptable for the world that terrorist acts should be masterminded and carried out by terrorist groups in Pakistan,” Sarkozy said at an event at the Oberoi Hotel, one of the two luxury hotels targeted by Pakistani gunmen on 26/11.
In comparison, President Obama, who paid homage to 26/11 victims at the Taj’s Tree of Life memorial along with wife Michelle, did not name Pakistan in his November 6 speech. It was only at an interaction with students at St Xavier’s College the day after that he named it.
Dressed in a blue suit and standing on a dais in the circular Oberoi lobby, Sarkozy used the word “unacceptable” twice in his speech to emphasise how strongly he felt about Pakistan’s reluctance to rein in terror.
“It is unacceptable that India’s security be threatened by groups of terrorists acting from neighbouring countries,” he said in a 20-minute speech that could be heard in translation by some 150 guests over headphones.
Condemning the killings of French nationals Loumia and Mourad Amarsy on 26/11, Sarkozy compared the four-day terror siege to the 9/11 attacks.
“The Mumbai attacks proved one more time that terrorism is nothing but criminal activity. It pretends to act for political or religious objectives, but it is just savagery. It pretends to serve ideals but it injures them through its acts,” he said.
“I call on all Pakistani authorities to step up their efforts and show that they are resolute in combating these criminals.”
Almost echoing President Obama, Sarkozy said France stood firmly with India but also valued its relations with Pakistan. “A Pakistan which is democratic, stable and prosperous, is in the interest of this region and the world,” he said.
“We will never forget the Mumbai attacks and will be with India so that justice is rendered.”
The French President praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for showing restraint after 26/11, continuing talks with Pakistan and creating a “politics of dialogue which France supports”.
Sarkozy said France would continue its efforts to eradicate terror and would not be “menaced and blackmailed by Islamist terrorists”. He called for greater global co-operation on counter-terrorism at the intelligence-sharing and judicial co-operation levels.
Among the guests were Kavita Karkare and Smita Salaskar, the widows of slain police officers Hemant Karkare and Vijay Salaskar. So were Central Railway announcer Vishnu Zende and Railway Protection Force constable Jhullu Yadav who together saved lives of hundreds of commuters at CST station.
The Taj’s former general manager Karambir Kang and Oberoi’s former executive vice-president Devendra Barma, who shepherded their guests to safety on the night of 26/11 were also present. Sarkozy honoured them as officers of France’s Ordre National Du Merite.
The French first couple arrived in Mumbai at 11.06am in an A-330 aircraft. They stopped at the Police Gymkhana in south Mumbai and placed wreaths at the memorial of 18 police officers who died in the 26/11 carnage before heading for the Oberoi hotel. Sarkozy addressed a business meet organised by Ficci and CII at the Taj before leaving for France at 4.08pm.
Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla at an event in Mumbai on Monday to remember the 26/11 victims. (Reuters)
Of interest? Ping.
France “leap-frogs” Zer0 on terrorism.
Zer0 is incredibly incompetent. He has not defined
a cohesive foreign policy but that could be the result of his contempt for the U.S.
But ZerO is defined....by his support of all things muslim and that includes those who would murder us all in a heartbeat.
Wow!
What was this news story about again?
It won’t take much more of Obama before the French start turning all of our old jokes about them back on us.
Yeah like,
- For sale, Amercan rifles - never fired, or
- America issues white flags to every soldier, or
- Costa Rica defeats America in battle over banana imports.
And the leftist propagandists of the US media laughably try to sell the Obama White House as Camelot. As if Barack is a King Arthur defending his country against invaders and Michele is a beautiful and charming Queen Guinevere (or even a John & Jackie Kennedy).
Laughable!
Man, talk about a camel's nose; this is the whole head. I know that Pakistan winks and gives safe haven to AQ to raid within Afghanistan, but has Afghanistan formally asked for this? The way this is expressed, it portends a terrible precedent in today's legal environment, for it is the essence of a global police power. It is justification of police action within a sovereign nation by outside nations at their discretion.
If there is a revolt against a tyrannical government within any country, should "the world" call them terrorists and send troops simply because they upset the global applecart? Do we check their political affiliation first?
The terrorist attack was on India.
And what’s your point? That the pretext for attacking Pakistan today is as legit as the pretext for taking out the Afghan taliban after 9/11?
If you think that ... you might be right.
The reason that Pakistan is not, and will not, be attacked, is that it is a festering cauldron of 110 million muslims. Think of Iraq cubed ... nobody would touch it. But we CAN stop giving excuses for Pakistan’s fostering of terrorism.
Nope. I'm thinking about something else along these lines...
The reason that Pakistan America is not, and will not, be attacked, is that it is a festering cauldron of 110 million muslims conservative rebels.
Inducing rebellion and sending the police is a favorite communist tactic. With the current population of maniacal leftists in the US and a would be dictator fearing deposition as President, I cannot help but acknowledge the potential for domestic insurrection designed to prod conservatives into organizing and fighting back. What then? THIS is the "then" I fear, boatloads of "police" in blue helmets. Hence, talk like this troubles me, as I see it designed to exercise that causus belli. I know the situation in Pakistan is different, but Sarkozy's language is very plastic.
MUMBAI: Shedding the niceties of protocol, the president of France on Tuesday described terrorist groups like the Taliban and al-Qaida as savages who claim to serve the ideal of religion and nationhood. Calling Pakistan the melting pot of terror, Nicolas Sarkozy repeatedly said it...
Read more: Pakistan melting pot of terror: Sarkozy - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistan-melting-pot-of-terror-Sarkozy/articleshow/7062460.cms#ixzz17WtI8Oee
That man is a leader who doesn’t bow to koranimals.
And she's got the nerve to lecture Americans about diet!
The woman in the purple is actually Crown PRincess Letizia of Spain.
She needs to eat a little more...I mean, she’s cute and all, but...Curves are nice. Bones and angles...not so much.
But the error is understandable when you look at a photo of Veronica Berlusconi:
Whether Letizia & Carla or Veronica & Carla, and whether photoshopped Michelle or not, I think the points hold:
- Camelot? Laughable!
- Spokesperson/nag for healthy diet and against fat children? My @$$!
Then you should be just in heaven watching pressers with Michelle Obama. Is that the type of “Thick” chick you are into?
"It is unacceptable for Afghanistan and for our troops that the Taliban and al Qaida find safe havens in the border regions of Pakistan. We know the price the Pakistani people are paying for terrorism. But it is unacceptable for the world that terrorist acts should be masterminded and carried out by terrorist groups in Pakistan."Thanks sukhoi-30mki.
ARGH! Oh, HELL No!!! Not a chance!!! Good God, you trying to give me a coronary? I thought we were FRiends? LoL!
She just needs a little more curve; too skinny. Not bad, just a bit skinny.
But no, NOTHING on the order of the First Wookie...Brrr... that’s just not an option...
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