Gary Bauer writes in his “End of Day” newsletter:
The rioting that began in the suburbs of Paris, France, nearly two weeks ago has now spread not only to other French cities, but also to Germany and Brussels as well. And as the conflagration spreads, the level of violence is becoming more severe.
Over 1,400 vehicles were torched in France last night and schools, government buildings and churches were firebombed by the predominately Muslim rioters. Ten policemen were wounded by shotgun blasts and demoralized law enforcement officials say they fear that heavy weapons will be used against them soon. Authorities found a firebomb factory in a Paris suburb last night filled with hundreds of bottles and stockpiles of gasoline. The French are now learning first hand what Israel has had to contend with for years while various French politicians berated it.
In Europe and the United States media coverage about the insurrection continues to be so politically correct as to border on the bizarre. Much was made a few days ago about a tear gas canister being fired into a mosque, but I had to search online today for quite a while before I found the information on French churches being firebombed and synagogues threatened.
Yesterday's Washington Post had a front page story with the politically correct and disgusting headline, "Rage of French Youth Is a Fight for Recognition." So this is merely youth wanting to be recognized? The Post should be ashamed of itself. Canadian columnist Mark Steyn quoted a similar headline in London about "French youth" and had this to say: "'French youths,' huh? You mean Pierre and Jacques and Marcel and Alphonse? Granted that most of the 'youths' are technically citizens of the French Republic, it doesn't take much time ... to discover that the rioters do not think of their primary identity as 'French.'"
Steyn is right. "Pierre" is not out rioting - "Mohammed" is. USA Today, in a surprising moment of lucidity reports that rioters are shouting, "Jihad" and "Baghdad." And investigators are finding that the mobs controlling many of the streets of France are a coalition of drug gangs, hoodlums, and Islamic extremists united only by their hatred of Western civilization.
French President Jacques Chirac finally found his voice over the weekend. Breaking his silence he announced, "The republic is completely determined to be stronger than the rioters." Well, give him credit for not over promising. After nearly two weeks of thuggery on the streets, the French government has finally found the courage to institute a curfew, but it has yet to bring in military back-up for the outnumbered police. Why did anyone here in Washington think the French government would ever find the courage to stand with us in Iraq when it is not clear they are prepared to defend Paris?
You can sign up for Gary’s email reports here. Gary’s blog is here.
Comments