Posted on 10/22/2004 9:12:41 PM PDT by kddid
PARIS, Oct 22 (AFP) - Intelligence agents have identified the first French national known to have been killed fighting with the insurgency against US forces in Iraq, officials said Friday.
The 19-year-old, named as Redouane El Hakim, is believed to have travelled to Iraq via Syria at the start of the year and been killed in a US bombardment on Fallujah in July.
Officials close to the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hakim was one of several French citizens of Muslim background who have gone to Iraq to fight along insurgents there.
"It's difficult to estimate their number, but there mustn't be more than around 10 or so," one official said.
"There is no organised network, it's more thrown together."
According to Le Figaro newspaper, intelligence agents know of two other Frenchmen in Fallujah at the moment.
Hakim, who was of Tunisian origin, had lived in the Paris region and was accompanied by his brother Boubakeur, 21, the officials said. But Boubakeur was detained by the Syrian authorities and remains in custody there.
Hakim was buried in Iraq, one source said, adding that the exact date of his death was not known.
He and his brothers were known to frequent a radical Islamic group that was investigated earlier this year in the western Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret.
The French sources said the French militants heading to Iraq appeared to be entering through Syria.
Other Muslims looking to join the jihad, or holy war, against the US-led forces "make it to Iraq via Britain then Saudi Arabia on the pretext of making a pilgrimage, and then Syria before entering Iraq," one official said.
I thought the U.S. was only bombing civilians. We must have hit this guy by accident.
He must have been at a wedding.
A French Islamic Militant ????
Go figure..
If I'm not mistaken (and I often am),,there are few of those French type militants at the UN too.
I only wish the terrorists had hit the UN bldg instead of the World Trade Center..
but of course,,,THAT would never occur.......the roaches protect their own
The Kerry Campaign applauded the French decision declaring "at last someone has stepped up and passed the global test."
L
Kerry is starting to get the French to go to Iraq.
To the US Air Force, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
How the world has changed. We saved the French butts twice or more from Nazi oppression and slavery. Are they grateful, appreciatiave, thankful? No, of course not. They hate us and despise us.
Are we surprised? I don't know. For me, at my age, I'm mystified, the world of logic and realism is turned upside down. Words matter more than "common sense" or reality. The left wants no more reality. Everything for them is fantasy and baloney as reality.
It's the end of the world as I know it. It's Orwellian. Everything is backwards. Bass Ackwards. It's difficult for me not to be depressed and discouraged. Tell me I'm wrong. Please.
The worst thing that could happen to the French would be for Kerry to get elected. Then the terrorists could quit focusing on Iraq, and start going after soft targets all over Europe.
Good for us, we got a twofer!!
They seem more than happy to meet us over there to fight. Isn't that what the President has called for? Better there than here, Kerry.
The world is a little better today, now that this French . . . merde . . . has assumed room temp.
The only good Muslim Jihadist, is a dead Muslim Jihadist.
LMAO...
A travelling wedding 200 miles out in the desert.
Ah, Falluja, that bastion of diversity is in the news again
No, you're actually right this time.;)
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