French Ambassador: 'We Are Back to Normal'

AP ^ | 11/21/5 | BARRY SCHWEID

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON -- The violence that swept predominantly Muslim communities in some 300 cities and towns in France for three weeks has abated and "we are back to normal," French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte said Monday.

He said mostly teenagers had acted out of social and economic hardship. "It was not about the role of Islam in France," he said.

"We never saw any link, direct or indirect," the French diplomat said. "Religion played no role."

"We know that jihadists are recruiting teenagers, but this has nothing to do with the general unrest in those neighborhoods," he said. The teenagers want to be considered 100 percent French, he said. "They want full equality."

Levitte also suggested "the word 'riot' is a bit too strong" to describe the disturbances and that while thousands of automobiles were destroyed and scores of police officers injured, there were only a handful of fatalities, in contrast to the 1992 Los Angeles riots that left 55 people dead and $1 billion in property damage.

The French have invoked those riots in the past, by way of criticizing U.S. policies. In 1992, then President Francois Mitterrand suggested that France would avoid such strife because of its generous social programs.

[genghis]

the muslims can take out that government anytime they like.
It stuns me that more was not made of this.

[dfwgator]

Are Back to Normal',

In other words, most of the country is on strike.

[nicmarlo]

"It was not about the role of Islam in France"

[RockinRight]

On the bright side, I think those cars are worth more as torched scrapmetal than as vehicles.

[Doomonyou]

...authorities discovered racist and extremist slogans — including one that said "defend yourself, France"

They're toast.

[Tzimisce]

All things are back to normal: we can continue to ignore the elephant in the rapidly shrinking room.

[river rat]

The French --- cowardly, inept, feckless imbeciles that they have become, are whistling past the cemetery.

Little do they know, that their mortal enemy is at their throat...

Semper Fi

[finnman69]

"we are back to normal,"

translation: "we are still racist, socialist third world wimps"

[Borax Queen]

Hah! At least last night on The Poseidon Adventure, it was way un-PC because the terrorists were actually Islamic extremists!

[finnman69]

FRANCE, Let's fall in love again.

[A CA Guy]

The French are considering changing their national anthem to "Burn Baby Burn (Disco Inferno)".

[chemicalman]

Guess Johnny Depp can go back to Paris.

[MistrX]

Situation normal = SNAFU

[Capt. Tom]

Little do they know, that their mortal enemy is at their throat...

When you don't recognize cancer for what it is, and mis-diagnose the problem, and waste valuable time, by treating the symptoms as if it were caused by something else; by the time you realize it's cancer it is too late for effective treatment. - Tom

[StrangerInParadise]

Back to normal? Who did they surrender to now?

[Gritty]

Little do they know, that their mortal enemy is at their throat...

Oh, they'll realize it when the "Youths" start torching their precious vinyards and beating up French women for not being covered up enough when walking Des Champs Elysees!

But, then, who will there be left to defend them, their Muslim-riddled army?

[FerdieMurphy]

This is normal?

[FerdieMurphy]

"...Religion played no role."

He's right.

Give the Frenchman some credit. Islam isn't a religion it's a serious disease.

[george76]

Out of matches?