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'The Acts France committed against us are acts of war. France favours the rebels'
news.telegraph ^ | 11-14-2004 | James Copnall

Posted on 11/13/2004 6:29:40 PM PST by modest proposal

It was no simple matter, in the midst of mob demonstrations and machete attacks on foreigners in Ivory Coast last week, for a Westerner to keep an appointment with President Laurent Gbagbo.

An armed escort picked me up at a central hotel in Abidjan, the commercial capital of this west African state, and drove me to the president's residence Remnants of the demonstrations were everywhere: abandoned road blocks, burnt-out cars - and young militants loyal to Mr Gbagbo, slumped on the ground after days in protective vigil outside the residence.

It was here last Saturday that Mr Gbagbo was sitting behind his desk overflowing with files when the telephone rang. His Sukhoi 25 aircraft had been bombing the rebel-held north of the country for three days in breach of a two-year ceasefire brokered by a group of west African states, but the news turned out to be bad. They had hit a military base occupied by some of the 4,000 French peacekeepers in Ivory Coast.

The bombing, which Mr Gbagbo says was a mistake and the French say was deliberate, killed nine French soldiers and an American civilian.

"I was in my office, working, " President Gbagbo, 59, said. "Then the commander of operations called, followed in quick succession by the head of the army and the French ambassador. I couldn't believe it.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: france; gbagbo; ivorycoast
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President of the Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo

"The acts France committed against us are acts of war, which suggest that," he said. "But I have always said the world is divided into the powerful and the weak. And powerful countries are allowed to do everything, the weak nothing.

"Objectively, France favours the rebels, because the French destroyed our advantage in less than two hours. So France favours the rebels." Brief pause. "Objectively."


1 posted on 11/13/2004 6:29:40 PM PST by modest proposal
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To: modest proposal

we should help them fight france.


2 posted on 11/13/2004 6:30:27 PM PST by CaptainAwesome2
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To: modest proposal
Get used to it! You just earned a subscription to "Backstab" magazine an will be featured in the "French Backstab of the Month" column.


3 posted on 11/13/2004 6:33:49 PM PST by Shortwave (Supporting Bush was a duty one owed to the fallen. Now, it is an honor.)
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To: CaptainAwesome2

I just love les ouefs on Chirac's face.


4 posted on 11/13/2004 6:34:13 PM PST by modest proposal
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To: modest proposal

Somebody needs to deal with France. They cannot be trusted any more. It's a real shame that the US gov't wants to call them a friend an ally after what they have done to us. They need to be dealt with swiftly and surely.


5 posted on 11/13/2004 6:34:44 PM PST by conshack
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To: modest proposal
This is what we do with our enemies.


6 posted on 11/13/2004 6:35:49 PM PST by SkyPilot
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To: modest proposal
France acts normally. France Supports slavery for blacks.

France Supports Islamic murders of Jews and Christians and Americans.

7 posted on 11/13/2004 6:38:13 PM PST by Diogenesis ("Then I say unto you, send men to summon ... worms. And let us go to Fallujah to collect heads.")
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To: modest proposal

Ah, I see you learned the meaning of "friend" in french.


:O)

P


8 posted on 11/13/2004 6:38:39 PM PST by papasmurf (Kerry..." What are you gonna' believe, me, or your own 2 eyes?"..(Groucho Marx))
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To: modest proposal

Help me out here. Is the president of the Ivory Coast a good guy, or a bad guy? France sucks, but how low can these surrender monkeys go?


9 posted on 11/13/2004 6:38:53 PM PST by TheSpottedOwl ("In the Kingdom of the Deluded, the Most Outrageous Liar is King".)
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To: CaptainAwesome2; conshack
...its chief foreign partner.

PARTNER?(!)

You have to be kidding me.

10 posted on 11/13/2004 6:39:08 PM PST by Do not dub me shapka broham ("They don't want some high brow hussy from NYC characterizing them as idiots..." (Zell Miller)
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To: Diogenesis

Down with La France for suppressing the heroic Freedom Fighters of Cote d'Ivoire!!


11 posted on 11/13/2004 6:40:03 PM PST by ReadyNow (When you see the eye, expect a lie!)
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To: SkyPilot

Eyes DOWN before your GODS...!! {/best Gou'old voice}


12 posted on 11/13/2004 6:40:04 PM PST by konaice
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To: modest proposal

I say we kick their ass.


13 posted on 11/13/2004 6:41:18 PM PST by JustAnotherOkie
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To: SkyPilot
This is what we do with our enemies.

I prefer this...


14 posted on 11/13/2004 6:43:47 PM PST by montag813
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To: TheSpottedOwl

The French support the northern rebels, who happen to be...you`ll love this...radical muslims. I don`t know if Gbagbo is a good guy or bad guy, I do know the friend of my enemy is my enemy and the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or at least should be.


15 posted on 11/13/2004 6:44:24 PM PST by infidel29 (America is GREAT because she is GOOD, the moment she ceases to be GOOD, she ceases to be GREAT- B.F.)
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To: Diogenesis

As I recall, an American was killed along with the French.


16 posted on 11/13/2004 6:48:39 PM PST by pogeybait
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To: modest proposal

France will reap what it sows and pay dearly!


17 posted on 11/13/2004 6:49:40 PM PST by 26lemoncharlie (Defending America)
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To: conshack
Somebody needs to deal with France. They cannot be trusted any more.

In the "for what's it worth" column, I told my 10 yr old son a new joke yesterday (brought on by the numerous war movies this week)...

Why are all the streets in France lined with trees?

I must say, he knew enough about WWI and WWII to understand it.

LVM

18 posted on 11/13/2004 6:50:03 PM PST by LasVegasMac ("5 times ain't sh!t - My Daddy won here 10 times" DEjr)
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To: infidel29

Well said.


19 posted on 11/13/2004 6:54:54 PM PST by chet_in_ny
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To: SkyPilot

round up the usual suspects....


20 posted on 11/13/2004 6:56:02 PM PST by Walkingfeather (q)
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