Posted on 02/06/2005 1:31:01 PM PST by wagglebee
U.S. forces are holding three French nationals who were captured in Iraq fighting alongside insurgents loyal to terrorist kingpin Abu Musab al Zarqawi - a development that could complicate attempts to thaw relations between France and America.
"I can confirm that we are aware of the existence of these three people of French nationality who are being held in Iraq," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous told a press conference in Paris last week, in comments first reported by Reuters. The French fighters were detained by a U.S. patrol during fighting in the city of Fallujah last November, Ladsous explained.
Iraq's human rights minister Bakhtiar Amin confirmed the detentions during an interview last week on France's Europe One Radio.
"Two of them have admitted they came to make jihad against the Americans . . . They will be tried in Iraq," Amin said. "They are criminals and we are here to see justice is done."
The Iraqi official said also that he believed there were up to a dozen French citizens fighting U.S. forces in his country.
U.S. military sources in Iraq told Reuters that the three French fighters are currently being detained at Iraq's Camp Bucca.
A Paris-based Islamic network is suspected of having recruited them to fight in Iraq.
"FRENCH ISLAMOFASCIST TERRORISTS CAPTURED IN IRAQ"
No such thing.
Better fighing them there than fighting them here.
This does surprise me: I had not heard the term "French fighters" much before.
"France's love of fascism continues"
Again, they are NOT "French" per se, but Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians or Turks WITH French passport. And they are all, of course, Mohammedans.
I don't doubt that there are also American citizens who have succumbed to Islamofascist brainwashing and are also making war on our soldiers in Iraq.
No country is immune to the exhortations of Satan. We cannot lift one over another, but must pray and support all from succumbing.
Remember Jihad Johnny, now in a U.S. prison?
"...three people of French nationality..."
So the French Foreign Ministry doesn't consider them French, but persons of French nationality. There IS a difference. Probably originally from Morocco or Tunisia. But just you wait, if they get the death penalty or anything, they will suddenly become Frenchmen, victims of the brutal U.S. occupation in Iraq.
Have we made sure Iraq has enough rope?
I was referring to the term "French fighters."
You're right, but I'll bet that Chirac will have his minions demanding that we release them.
Yes, because Chirac is afraid of the Jihadists... he thinks that he can appease them.
If the French are fighting with the terrorist, our troops must be equipped with mosquito repellant and netting, yesterday at the latest.
He remembers how successful the Vichy government was with appeasing fascism.
Well, Vichy (under Petain) was technically fascist.
Seriously, please tell me.
ALl it says to me is that there are French-Islamic citizens that have seemingly drunk so much koolade that they took up arms.
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