Traveling to France and France in flames? Hey, not to worry! The rioters only hate the French.

LA VILLE LUMIÈRE ALL LIT UP
Extra Warm Welcome For Intrepid Visitors To France

TOURISM MINISTER ASSURES TOURISTS NOT A TARGET*

PARIS November 7, 2005 (AFP) - A growing number of nations warned their nationals to avoid French suburbs hit by more than a week of escalating violence, prompting France's tourism minister to say Monday that tourists were not a target.

The minister, Leon Bertrand, admitted that the unrest -- television images of which have gone around the world -- "risked posing a problem for tourism if these incidents continue."

Brilliant litotes, M. Betrand.

But he added that "right now, tourism is not being targeted."

"No tourists have been harassed and tourist spots have not been touched," Bertrand assured a media conference in Paris.

CURFEW CITY LOSES ITS FINE DINING CHARM FOR EURO MPs*

Brussells November 10, 2005 (Telegraph) - France's sense of national humiliation deepened yesterday when European Union politicians challenged plans to travel to Strasbourg for next week's sitting of the European Parliament.

The party and group leaders are to debate today the safety of heading to a city that has been placed under a state of emergency.

VIOLENCE COULD ENDANGER ECONOMIC RECOVERY*

PARIS November 7, 2005 (AFP) - Medef [Le Mouvement des Entreprises de France] chief Laurence Parisot, talking on French radio, said that the image of France "is deeply damaged, it is all a matter of the question of the attractiveness of France which is laid open".

Australia, Austria, Britain, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Russia, Spain and the United States have all issued advisories recommending that their nationals exercise extreme caution because of the troubles.

France's tourism minister, Leon Bertrand, said that the riots "risk causing a problem in the future for the tourism industry", but insisted the country remained safe for visitors and blamed foreign media for misleading the public with headlines claiming "Paris is burning".

Eu...mais, M. Le Ministre, Paris, elle brûle !

* Absolutely no Muslims sighted during the writing of this report.

PFFT (What is this?): Unusually warm French reception 5 | Rayonnement français 0

Is france a failed nation-state, yet! Should we call in UN peacekeepers from Brazil, Indonesia and Canada. Or, should UN just setup embargo. The vultures have come home to roost and want to feast on little froggies.

You advocate child prostitution in France? Even I don't go that far.