The Syrian-French Connection

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | 9/29/03 | Nir Boms

[kattracks]

While the media is busy focusing on the troubling story of the two American soldiers detained at Guantanamo Bay for alleged espionage, both of whom had Syrian connections, another Syria story has passed them by. The names of Ahmad al Halabi, an American of Syrian descent, and Captain James Yee, a convert to Islam who spent four years in Damascus before returning to active service, are now well known. But the name of Nizar Nayouf, a Syrian journalist and human rights activist that was detained last week by French police in Paris, will most probably stay anonymous.   Nayouf?s only crime is that he opposes the regime in Damascus, a regime that the French government wishes to appease.

Nayouf is a genuine Syrian dissident. Born in Syria in 1962, Nayouf graduated from the University of Damascus in 1987. He became a journalist shortly thereafter serving as Editor-in-Chief of Sawt al-Democratiyya (Voice of Democracy). Nayouf chose to be a human rights activist. He founded the independent Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria (CDF), a nascent human rights network that the government all but crushed between December 1991 and March 1992. Seventeen suspected CDF activists, including Nayouf, were tried by the Supreme State Security Court in February and March 1992. They were charged with membership in an illegal organization and with the distribution of illegal, anti-government propaganda. Fourteen were sentenced to between three and ten years in prison. Nayouf received the longest sentence and spent the following nine years in the notorious Palestine Prison, a facility reserved for political prisoners and run by the Syrian Intelligence Service, the Mukhabarat. Nine years later he left with permanent spinal injuries, paralysis in his lower extremities and skin disfigurements from cigarette burns. He also suffers from a left kidney failure, a bleeding gastric ulcer, and severely deteriorating eyesight.

None of these horrors was enough to silence him. Just over a year ago Nayouf made it to France. He successfully sought political asylum and was granted it  in 2002.  But then, the curious problems began. The French government refused to give him access to his official documents. He has tried, and failed, several times to obtain a refugee passport, particularly after he was invited to Washington to speak at a conference that aims to examine Syria?s record of human rights and political reforms. He tried as recently as last Monday, September 16, 2003 to obtain a passport when he visited his local police station in Porte de Vanves. The police denied him the passport on the pretext that France was seeking to protect him from the Syrian regime. Mr. Nayouf was then ?advised? not to attend the conference and speak out against Syria. The conference, to be held on September 29 in Washington DC, has been arranged by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. The conference aims to discuss the Syrian role in the Middle East and provide a platform for non-Ba?athist Syrian politicians and dissidents.

Like Halabi and Lee, he too was interested in sharing intelligence ? although a different kind of it. He wanted to tell Americans and the world how people like Halabi reach places like Guantanamo Bay and how people like Yee become Al-Qaeda sympathizers. Mr. Nayouf would like to share stories about how people like him ended up in Syrian prisons and are now, thanks to our friends overseas, barred from raising their voices against oppression.

Nayouf was hoping to give a first hand account of how people suffer under the Ba?athist regime in Syria. Instead, he is trapped in a new prison, albeit in beautiful Paris.  

Nir Boms is the Vice President of the Washington Based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

---

Nir Boms is a political analyst writing from Washington, DC

[AdmSmith]

If this is true: Nizar Nayouf should go to the US embassy in Paris and discuss his problems. Nir Boms, that probably will read this, seems to have contact with Nayouf, should use his phone.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

You rock, kattracks!

Nayouf was hoping to give a first hand account of how people suffer under the Ba?athist regime in Syria. Instead, he is trapped in a new prison, albeit in beautiful Paris.

France preventing a real hero and Syrian dissident from telling DC what he knows about Syria, terrorism and how spies like those at Gitmo are 'created.'

 Thanks, Tonkin!

If you want on or off my Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[windchime]

Bump!

[.cnI redruM]

If Fidel Castro could get in good with Chirac, he wouldn't have to jail his own dissidents either. How nice of the neighborly French. Given the state of French climate control, I'd almost rather do time in Ankara.

[Grampa Dave]

Just another reason to Buycott French Products and Services made/provided by French owned companies.

French Products to Buycott

Make it a lifestyle to avoid French products or products made by what appear to be a non French company in America. The reality is that many of these companies like Wild Turkey are owned by the French.

Let them fear the American Street---our combined wallets.

"France has burned too many bridges!"

Lets keep burning those bridges that the slimey and worthless frogs keep trying to build post Iraq.

$crew the $limey Frogs with a Boycott and no vacations in Slimey Frog Land!


French Products to Buycott

We can resist their wines which usually come in behind the good Napa Valley Wines and Australian wines in blind tasting without French Judges like in the Winter Olympics.

We can do without French Products and services for the rest of this decade. Here is a list of French companies and their products to avoid for the rest of this decade. Please keep this list and send it to your relatives, friends and fellow conservatives via e and snail mail!

*New additions to the list.

Air France

Air Liquide

Airbus

Alcatel - Based in Paris France, Provider of communications equipment, including ADSL equipment, terrestrial and submarine optical networks, public switching, fixed wireless access and intelligent networks.


Allegra (Allergy Medication) - Produced by Aventis Pharmaceuticals based in Strasbourg, France

Aqualung (Including: Spirotechnique, Technisub, US Divers, and SeaQuest)

AXA Advisors

*Bacou-Dalloz-Makes Industrial protective devices

Bank of the West - Owned by BNP Paribas

Beneteau (boats)

BF Goodrich - Owned by Michelin

BIC (Razors, Pens & Lighters) - Started in 1945 by Marcel Bich. Originally based just outside of Paris. Began trading on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. 40.5% Publicly traded. Bich family still owns 33.5%.

Biotherm (Cosmetics)

Black Bush

Bollinger (Champagne)

*Browning Firearms**

Car & Driver Magazine

Cartier

Chanel

Chivas Regal (Scotch)

Christian Dior

Club Med (Vacations) - Owned in part by Paris based CDC (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations)

Culligan (owned by Vivendi)

Dannon (Yogurt & Dairy Foods)

*Danone -Lea and Perrin, Evian and other food/water

*Decatholon Super Sport Stores or MVP Sport Stores*

* Dassault Systemes-(CATIA design software)*

DKNY - LVMH acquired 100% of Gabrielle Studio Inc., the privately owned licenser of Donna Karan trademarks back in 2001.

*DMC THREADS

Dom Perignon

Durand Crystal

Elle Magazine

*Emile Henry French Cookware

*Enertec makes high speed recorders used in Recon aircraft p>Essilor Optical Products

*Essilon- Varilux Progressive Lenses for eye glasses

Evian

Fina Oil - Billions invested in Iraqi Oil fields -FINA GAS STATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE NOT FRENCH-OWNED AND ARE NOT PART OF TOTAL-ELF-FINA ... FINA GAS STATIONS ARE OWNED BY ALON ISRAEL OIL COMPANY ..

First Hawaiian Bank

George Magazine

Givenchy

*Grey Goose Vodka

*GroupeSEB owns Krups, Moulinex, Roweta and Tefal Cookware

*Groupe Shneider, owner of Modicon and Square D

*Guerlain Fragrances

*Hachette Filipacchi owner publisher of many magazines sold in the USA. See the list below:***

Hennessy

Houghton Mifflin (books) International Herald Tribune - 181 ave Charles-de-Gaulle - F-92521 Neuilly - FRSource:World Business Council for Sustainable Development '00 [Domain Registration], [Corporate Profile]

Jacobs Creek - Owned by Pernod Ricard since 1989

Jameson (whiskey Owned by Pernod Ricard )

Jerry Springer (talk show)

Krups

****Lagardere****

Lancome

*Lea & Perrins a product of Danon

Le Creuset (Cookware)

L'Oreal (Health & Beauty Products)

Louis Vuitton

Marie Claire

Martel Cognac

Maybelline

Méphisto (Footwear & Apparel)

Michelin (Tires & Auto Parts) - Their phone number is: (33) 1 45 66 15 53 in France

Mikasa Crystal and Glass (purchased by ARC int'l in 2001)

Moet (Champagne)

Motel 6 - 33, Avenue du Maine- 75755 Paris Cedex 15 France

Motown Records

MP3.com

Mumms (Champagne)

Nissan (Cars) - Majority owned by Renault

Nivea

Normany Butter

Parents Magazine

*Perrier

Peugeot (Automobiles) - Pronounced "Pooh Joe", must be French

Pierre Cardin

Playstation Magazine

ProScan - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France

Publicis Group (Including: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising)

RCA (televisions & electronics) - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France

Red Magazine

Red Roof Inns - Owned by the Accor group based in France

Renault (Automobiles) major owner of Nissan

Road & Track Magazine

Roquefort Cheese - All Roquefort cheese is made in France

Rowenta (Toasters, Irons, Coffee makers, etc)

Royal Canadian

Salomon (Skis)

Seagram's Gin

Sierra Software and Computer Games

*Sodexho Alliance* French Food Caterer for the US Marines

Sofitel (Hotels) - Owned by the Accor group based in France

Sparkletts (Water) - Owned by Danone, based in France

Spencer Gifts

Sundance Channel

Taylor Made (Golf)

Technicolor

T-Fal (Kitchenware)

The Glenlivet (Scotch) *Top Tobacco - Dist. by Republic Tobacco L.P., Glenview IL, made in France

UbiSoft (Computer Games)

Uniroyal

Uniroyal Tires - Owned by Michelin

Universal Studios (Music, Movies & Theme Parks) -

Universal Studios is owned by Vivendi-Universal, headquartered in Paris France

USFilter

Veritas Group

Veuve Clicquot Champagne

Vittel

Vivendi - Vivendi Headquarters, Paris France

Wild Turkey (bourbon)

*Winchester Firearms (US Repeating Arms)**

Woman's Day Magazine

Yoplait - France-based Sodiaal owns a 50% stake of Yoplait

Yves Saint Laurent

*Yves Rocher Cosmetics

*ZigZag (tobacco papers and roller products)*

Zodiac Inflatable Boats

*New additions to the list thanks to Freepers. If you have an addition, Freepmail me with the URL showing French ownership.

** Sad news but these two companies are owned by the Belgian Company Herstal, (French Light)

***List of 18 magazines sold in USA by Hachette Filipacchi with an estimated 50 million readers: American Photo, Boating, Car Stereo Review's Mobile Entertainment, Cycle World, ELLE Decor, ELLEgirl, Flying, Home, Metropolitan Home, Popular Photography, Premiere, Sound & Vision, Travel Holiday, Woman's Day Woman's Day Special Interest Publications.

****Lagardere owns the Virgin Megastore group in France, which it bought from Richard Branson three years ago. Its Hachette media division publishes a battery of magazines including Elle , see *** Hachette Filipacchi above. Lagardere also has a stake in the Airbus manufacturing operation. The company is capitalised at over €5bn.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[blackie]

France Sucks ~ Big Time!

[MeekOneGOP]

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt

[PhilDragoo]

Bashar Schmuck and Jacques Schmuck: the mirror has two faces.