Guest MikeSC Report post Posted November 7, 2004 French 'killed Ivorian civilians' Librarie de France bookstore in Abidjan's chic Cocody quarter burns French property in Abidjan was targeted by protesters Ivory Coast has accused French troops of killing unarmed civilians to avenge the death of nine French peacekeepers. Parliament speaker Mamadou Coulibaly said the French had killed 30 people and wounded more than 100 in the main cities of Abidjan and Yamassoukro. The French have denied this - saying they fired warning shots on protesters near Abidjan airport and a French base. French citizens were attacked after French forces destroyed five Ivorian government aircraft. The main thing is to call everybody to calm down so... no aggressive action is taken against the Ivorian nationals and the foreigners UN condemns attacks France had responded to an earlier Ivorian air attack on the rebel town of Bouake that left nine French peacekeepers dead - a government breach of a ceasefire signed in July 2003. The first French troop reinforcements have arrived at Abidjan airport. Paris has said it is sending more troops and aircraft to the region to stop the escalating violence. It has 4,000 troops in the country, part of a 10,000-strong UN force mandated to enforce a peace deal between rebels in the north and President Gbagbo's government in the south. The UN Security Council moved swiftly to back the French action, and called on all sides to stop the fighting. Looting Groups of Ivorians in Abidjan apparently responded to a call by supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo to retake the airport, which was seized by the French on Saturday. The BBC's James Copnall in Abidjan said a helicopter flew low over a bridge that splits the city, and fired warning shots as thousands of young men were trying to cross over. Some protesters ransacked homes of Europeans in the Bietry district of the city as they dispersed. Earlier, at least two French schools and a library were set alight and French property looted. Rioters were seen brandishing axes, machetes and clubs as they roamed the streets shouting "French go home!" and "Everybody get your Frenchman!" A French military spokesman said they had rescued 80-90 French citizens from dangerous situations. IVORY COAST'S PEACE UNRAVELS French peacekeepers in Ivory Coast 29 Sept: Ivorian parliament fails to agree citizenship laws, which were a key requirement of the January 2003 peace deal 13 Oct: Ivorian rebels say they will not disarm, as planned, until immigration laws are changed 28 Oct: Vendors selling newspapers accused of supporting the opposition are attacked by pro-government militants in Abidjan and southern towns The New Forces order eight rebel ministers to return to the rebel-held north, saying it had discovered the government smuggling arms across its territory 4 Nov: Government launches air strikes on rebel-held territory in north 5 Nov: More government air strikes and clashes on the ground in north, as unrest erupts in Abidjan 6 Nov: French forces destroy five Ivorian air force aircraft after an air strike leaves French soldiers dead But Paris strongly rejected suggestions its troops had killed Ivorian civilians. "Army command denies the report that around 30 Ivorians were killed and another 100 wounded by the French army," said defence ministry spokesman Gerad Dubois, quoted by French news agency AFP. Explosions and heavy gunfire were also reportedly heard in the capital Yamoussoukro. President Gbagbo has appealed through a spokesman for an end to attacks on French interests pending an investigation into Saturday's events. A government spokesman called the air raid in which the French soldiers died a mistake. An uneasy calm seems to have returned, our correspondent in Abidjan says. Meanwhile, Paris has dispatched an extra two companies of troops to beef up a force of 4,000 already deployed since the end of the civil war last year. It has also redeployed three jet fighters to the region. President Jacques Chirac ordered the "immediate destruction of Ivorian military aircraft used in recent days in violation of the ceasefire". Paris said it had destroyed two Sukhoi warplanes and three helicopter gunships - virtually the entire Ivory Coast airforce. Tolerance ended The BBC's world affairs correspondent, Mark Doyle, says this is the most serious crisis between France and its former colony since independence in 1960. Ivory Coast was for many years a tolerant melting pot of religions and ethnic groups, but a coup in 1999 followed by civil war ended all of that with a vengeance, our correspondent says. Tensions reached boiling point after deadlines for reforms and disarmament designed to lead to peace were missed. The African Union has urged both the government and rebels to refrain from any further violations of the truce they signed http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3989765.stm So, in the eyes of France, we're doing the wrong thing in Iraq --- but revenge killings of innocent civilians isn't? Frickin' hypocrites. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Salacious Crumb Report post Posted November 7, 2004 Well at least they found a battle they could actually win. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Banders Kennany Report post Posted November 7, 2004 I can't say much more on this other the actions of these arrogant Frenchmen are making me sick to my stomach, and even more than their BO. I agree with Mike whole-heartedly Edit - Sorry if that offends any French posters here, but I was just making a little joke. If a moderator wants to remove it, PM me and I will be glad to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted November 7, 2004 Monkey see monkey do. France sees America kill innocent Iraqi civilians, they bitch. Frenchies kill African people, no one cares, except for Americans who hate the french (for a stupid reason) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted November 7, 2004 Monkey see monkey do. France sees America kill innocent Iraqi civilians, they bitch. Frenchies kill African people, no one cares, except for Americans who hate the french (for a stupid reason) No, we dislike France for good reason. They've been the worst ally any country can have. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted November 7, 2004 I can think of many more countries worse than france, and its still a dumb reason. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted November 7, 2004 I can think of many more countries worse than france, and its still a dumb reason. I cannot think of many less useful countries. -=Mike ...Don't worry, we don't like A LOT of countries... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
therealworldschampion 0 Report post Posted November 7, 2004 Well at least they found a battle they could actually win. Don't be too sure about that, they are the French which means one casualty could mean immediate surrender. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted November 7, 2004 Well at least they found a battle they could actually win. Don't be too sure about that, they are the French which means one casualty could mean immediate surrender. Thats pretty generous of you. http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CheesalaIsGood 0 Report post Posted November 7, 2004 Haven't watched much TV lately but I have seen this in several places on-line. News seemed to have come to a crawl anyway post-election. People are tired. As far as the french go... Projection can be a telling thing when it comes to the truth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Loss Report post Posted November 8, 2004 Do you not think it's possible to not be aligned with us without being against us? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest INXS Report post Posted November 8, 2004 From what I can gather, these revenge killings are not the policy of the French government or military, if it did indeed happen. I don't see any relation to Iraq here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BDC Report post Posted November 8, 2004 From what I can gather, these revenge killings are not the policy of the French government or military, if it did indeed happen. I don't see any relation to Iraq here. H-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted November 8, 2004 Do you not think it's possible to not be aligned with us without being against us? Yes. France is not in that group. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Loss Report post Posted November 8, 2004 Do you not think it's possible to not be aligned with us without being against us? Yes. France is not in that group. -=Mike France has never attacked us. France is not aligned with a country that has ever attacked us. France poses no threat to us, and to suggest they did would be laughable. Americans are not being held captive in France. The French army is not killing Americans. It's all propaganda. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 I agree that the actions of France in Cote d'Ivoire were hypocritical. They call for multilateralism in our situation with Iraq, and then those buttplugs go and act unilaterally in Africa. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Of course they're hypocrits in this situation. I still don't think of the U.N. or the French as evil, just completely pascifistic and ineffectual. I can't think that they don't see the problem when Spain's getting bombed so close to them. I think they're just scared shitless, and hoping it'll all go away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Justice 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Do you not think it's possible to not be aligned with us without being against us? Yes. France is not in that group. -=Mike France has never attacked us. France is not aligned with a country that has ever attacked us. France poses no threat to us, and to suggest they did would be laughable. Americans are not being held captive in France. The French army is not killing Americans. It's all propaganda. No, but it did sell Exocet missiles to Argentina when it invaded the Falklands, which in turn were used against British Destroyers. It took a sufficient amount of bitching from the US and UK to get them to stop selling them any more. I'd call that being a VERY shitty ally. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Do you not think it's possible to not be aligned with us without being against us? Yes. France is not in that group. -=Mike France has never attacked us. France is not aligned with a country that has ever attacked us. France poses no threat to us, and to suggest they did would be laughable. Americans are not being held captive in France. The French army is not killing Americans. It's all propaganda. Who has armed Saddam over the past 10 years? France. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Pretty damn shitty, considering they had invaded Kuwait. However I can't think of a single world power who hasn't armed their enemies in the past. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Justice 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Pretty damn shitty, considering they had invaded Kuwait. However I can't think of a single world power who hasn't armed their enemies in the past. That's true, but the Britain one stands out because they were ACTIVELY arming them for the invasion of one of their best allies. Seriously, should we really have to bitch to tell you to stop selling missiles to the guys killing our troops? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Pretty damn shitty, considering they had invaded Kuwait. However I can't think of a single world power who hasn't armed their enemies in the past. When we are openly requesting that they stop --- and France assumes it's us trying to ruin their economic situation --- there is a problem. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 As an aside question, the French economy IS sputtering pretty badly, isn't it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted November 11, 2004 As an aside question, the French economy IS sputtering pretty badly, isn't it? W. Europe's economy as a whole has been nothing to write home about for years. The people, honestly, lost their work ethic years ago. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 As an aside question, the French economy IS sputtering pretty badly, isn't it? W. Europe's economy as a whole has been nothing to write home about for years. The people, honestly, lost their work ethic years ago. -=Mike That's just because they're not IMPERIALIST CAPITALIST PIGGZ like us! Oink! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 They have that sweet, sweet, limited work week. Which you have to figure, probably cuts their prouctivity by 1/8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Yeah, they get all sorts of vacations and things...but really don't make much money, and what they do make they have to return to the state. Because, y'know, it belongs to them, and people just play with it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Yeah, they get all sorts of vacations and things...but really don't make much money, and what they do make they have to return to the state. Because, y'know, it belongs to them, and people just play with it I'm all for low taxes, but the whole "it's my money--let me keep it" argument bothers me. Keep in mind, you couldn't make a dime without government support of the market, for example: -Printing the money. -Roads. -Rural electrification. -Government subsidized telephone wiring. -Satellite communications. -Police protection. -Military protection. -A criminal justice system. -Fire protection. -Paramedic protection. -Education. -Immunizatons. -Protection against plagues by the Centers for Disease Control. -Public-funded business loans, foreclosure loans and subsidies. -Protection from business fraud and unfair business practices. -The protection of intellectual property through patents and copyrights. -Student loans. -Government funded research and development. -National Academy of Sciences. -Economic data collected and analyzed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. -Prevention of depressions by Keynesian policies at the Federal Reserve (successful for six decades now). -Dollars protected from inflation by the Federal Reserve. -Federal Emergency Management Agency. -Public libraries. -Cooperative Extension Service (vital for agriculture) -National Biological Service. -National Weather Service. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Nobody is advocating an abolition of taxation. However, there are several things on your list that the government has no business, whasoever, participating in. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Nobody is advocating an abolition of taxation. However, there are several things on your list that the government has no business, whasoever, participating in. -=Mike Which? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
