UPDATE:
FRANCE CONFIRMS RELEASE OF HOSTAGE IN AFGHANISTAN
PARIS April 28, 2007 (Defense News/Reuters) - France’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday one member of an aid group who had been kidnapped in Afghanistan had been released.
It's just that easy. You play ball, the Taliban plays ball.
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See our post immediately below.
FRANCE DOES NOT PLAN TO KEEP TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN
PARIS April 27, 2007 (AFP) - France does not plan to stay in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy* said Friday, hours before a deadline for a pullout of French troops in exchange for the release of two hostages."There is no plan to continue occupying a country in the long term," said Douste-Blazy. "It goes against France's values of respect for sovereignty, national independence and territorial integrity."
Ah, noble France. [We choke back tears of admiration at the nobility of a France so naturally, so facilely formulated by M. le Ministre.] And here we are thinking France heavy-handed, mendacious, and feckless.
... Unless its demands are met, the Taliban, which has beheaded several of its captives, said "the position of Islamic Emirate (the Taliban) about foreign prisoners... (will) soon be applied.""We are doing everything in Kabul and Paris to bring them home soon," Douste-Blazy said, adding that he had "taken note" of a Taliban statement on Thursday saying the hostages were in good health.
[All emphases added.]
France does everything possible when its nationals are taken hostage. Which is why French nationals are such highly prized pickings. Want France out of Afghanistan? Take French nationals hostage. Need a small business loan? Take French nationals hostage. Want better cable reception? Take French nationals hostage.
Here is a simple question. Why does the world not look to France to lead? [Pause.] Because France is incapable of leading. A nation of faint-hearts, her response to dangers and crises is always the same -- arrange a Sunday buffet with light entertainment and luxury schwag bags. A French official then pleads for the assembled to behave properly, to be nice, each according to his capacity. A follow-on crisis buffet is then scheduled. If catering were leadership, ah, then France would be the ticket.
* The dimmest bulb in the dark Chirac marquee™.
PFFT (What is this?): Catering to a big world (excluding America and Israel) 3 | Rayonnement français 0
