US in row with France over terror operation

The Telegraph ^ | 12/25/03 | Telegraph

[recalcitrant]

They are already IN the way.
Don't waste our valuable piss on them.

Lets go straight to subverting and overthrowing their government in a bloody coup d'etat, just as they have backed the terrorists in their attacks on America... and brought us unwarranted deaths and bloodshed...

revisit their transgressions a thousand fold.
I say, our collective piss is a little too diplomatic at this point.

[Imal]

There is more to this story than meets the eye.

While it is possible that everything being reported is true and above-board, this has the look and feel of a public dog-and-pony show to me, and I suspect that this is just the tip of a very large, fascinating and covert iceberg of a counterterrorism operation currently underway.

I love to bash France as much as the next guy, but the truth is that we are actually pretty tight with them on the counterterrorism and intelligence fronts. Not in lockstep, to be sure, but much tighter than is being played out here.

Sure, maybe us and France really are as incompetent as this news story arc suggests, but I'll need a lot more proof of it than this.

As Paul Harvey might say: Stand by for NEWS!

[JustPiper]

Thats because Saddam's $$ is all wrapped up in France

[JustPiper]

Your right we don't need American's going to stinkin' France anyway!

[texasflower]

I was one of the ones that loved your post, which is now your tagline. I just thought I would tell you that I told my family about it at the Christmas gathering today when the subject of Kadhafi came up. They thought it was hilarious too!!

[staytrue]

The seven men were all due to board a flight on Wednesday

Has anyone calculated the odds that these particular seven men all decided to go to LA on the same day on the same flight ?

My guess is that I have a better chance at winning powerball.

[My Dog Likes Me]

Excellent point.
If they were ALL on the watch list, and then ALL appear on the passenger manifest for this particular flight, then that's more than coincidence.
I've never forgiven the French for what they did to Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman at Devil's Island, anyways.

[MeekOneGOP]

[Beck_isright]

"France is now our enemy."

Agreed.

[steveegg]

Nice, er, sign ;-)

[dyed_in_the_wool]

You forgot their arming of Iraq leading up to the war.
Russia sent military advisers as well (who are still scratching their heads over our swift victory).

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Libya was the conduit of arms to Iraq from France.
Qaddafi ain't dumb. France couldn't protect him from Reagan, they sure as hell won't help now.

[samtheman]

They are, without a single doubt, the most useless group of people on the face of the earth.

Your words made my day. Thanks!

[thecanuck]

I'm with you on this one. The value in letting any would be hijacker go free(probably the dumbest and lowest on the AQ ladder)comes in what they say and do immediately afterward. If they become a real threat or once their intelligence value is done, they will be dealt with in a way that sends a message to AQ but not necessarily you or I.

[Diogenesis]

========= IRAQI WEAPONS from France USED Against US and Coalition Heroes ========

French missiles were found by the Poles, and to protect France, blown up.

The pompous froggies said they did not say "2003". Decide for yourself.

[RinaseaofDs]

Now wait just a freaking minute.

France has produced some of the world's finest prostitutes. It's beaches are excellent for landing ground forces.

It just pains me to see an entire country smeared by the actions of a few. /s.o.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I was one of the ones that loved your post, which is now your tagline. I just thought I would tell you that I told my family about it at the Christmas gathering today when the subject of Kadhafi came up. They thought it was hilarious too!!

Well, thank you very much! You just made me smile -- I'm glad that I was able to make you guys laugh a little. :)

[CWOJackson]

If France doesn't want to screen their flights then we should escort every arriving French flight with an armed F-16 then present them with the bill.

[Ben Chad]

Inspector Clouseau bump

[Physicist]

Has anyone calculated the odds that these particular seven men all decided to go to LA on the same day on the same flight ?

Can't say without knowing how large the watch list is, how many people fly in France, and how the watch lists are selected (probably a closely guarded secret). If one of the criteria for appearing on the watch list is taking frequent international flights, for example, the odds might not be that slim, as you've selected a sample of people who are likely to fly.

Odds be damned, I say. Let there be an obvious and innocent explanation, even. If it smells wrong to our investigators, the planes don't fly, period.

It's very gratifying that our national "immune system" caught such a subtle pattern in advance.

[San Jacinto]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a plot to fly these planes from L.A. to Las Vegas and crash them into targets once they were refueled for the return flights. Perhaps there is more information yet to come on this story.

In any event, I trust the Bush Administration a lot more than I trust the French authorities to uncover these murderers.