French plea as cemetery defaced

BBC News ^ | 1st April 2003 | BBC News

[James_UK]

French plea as cemetery defaced

Etaples contains 11,000 war graves French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has pleaded for trans-Atlantic tolerance after graffiti was daubed on a British war cemetery in northern France. Slogans reading "Death to Yankees" and "Rosbeefs (Brits) go home" were painted on the central memorial in Etaples, near the Channel port of Boulogne in northern France.

The slogans also called for UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush to be sent to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

"Saddam Hussein will win and spill your blood", one slogan read.

Another claimed the graves were "contaminating" French soil.

Our disagreement with the British and American governments (on Iraq) can in no way justify any assault on the memory of men who sacrificed themselves for our country

Jack Lang Former French minister The graffiti appeared on 26 March - six days after the start of the war in Iraq, which France had fought to prevent.

Mr Raffarin, without making reference to the incident, pleaded on Tuesday for anti-American feeling to be restrained, calling displays of such sentiment "unacceptable".

"It is indispensable to be vigilant against all displays of anti-Americanism, which would be unacceptable," spokesman Jean-Francois Cope quoted Mr Raffarin as telling parliamentary leaders at a meeting on Tuesday.

The government should also be on guard for any signs of racism, anti-Semitism or xenophobia in the frequent protests against the war, Mr Cope quoted him as saying.

A judicial enquiry has been opened into the Etaples attack, which was condemned by senior French politicians.

Condemnation

"This violation of a burial place - scandalous in itself - is an attack on the memory of the sacrifice made by the British and American soldiers who contributed to the liberation of our soil," said the local member of parliament, former Socialist arts minister Jack Lang.

"Our disagreement with the British and American governments (on Iraq) can in no way justify any assault on the memory of men who sacrificed themselves for our country."

Mr Raffarin's warning was the latest in a series of comments apparently aimed at healing the deep rift with the US and UK which opened up over the Iraq crisis.

Mr Raffarin has already said that France is not an enemy of the United States, while the Foreign Ministry has issued a statement saying Paris hoped US-led forces would win the war in Iraq.

FRENCH OPINION 34% - support US-led forces 25% - support Iraq 31% - support neither side Source: Le Monde/TF1 poll As the government attempts to mend fences with Washington, public opinion appears to remain firmly against the war.

In a poll published by Le Monde newspaper and TF1 television station on Monday, 25% of those questioned said they supported Iraq in the war. Only 34% of the 946 people questioned said they were "on the side" of the US-led forces.

Just over 30% said they supported neither side.

As public feelings continue to run high, the government is also worried that the frequent protests against the war could become a forum for anti-Semitism.

Figures released last week showed a big rise in racist and anti-Semitic activity since the 11 September attacks on the US.

We are pretty hacked off and I am pleased to say the French authorities are too

Tim Reeves Commonwealth War Graves Commission Two French Jewish people were attacked at a recent anti-war protest in Paris.

Mr Raffarin's government "will not tolerate any racist, anti-Semitic or xenophobic acts," Mr Cope quoted him as saying.

The defaced Etaples cemetery is one of the biggest in northern France. Around 11,000 fallen British soldiers are buried there. It lies near the site of several wartime hospitals.

"We are pretty hacked off and I am pleased to say the French authorities are too," said Tim Reeves, of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

[TopQuark]

Is this a sick joke?

FRENCH OPINION 34% - support US-led forces 25% - support Iraq 31% - support neither side (Source: Le Monde/TF1 poll) As the government attempts to mend fences with Washington, public opinion appears to remain firmly against the war.

There are more people people supporting the war than against it. YOu can count differently: 65% people are not against U.S.-led forces, and 55% are not against Saddam. Either way, preponderance is FOR the U.S. Yet, "public opinion appears to remain firmly against the war."

Goebels and Stalin would be proud of the fine work done by the BBC today.

[NorCoGOP]

The graffiti appeared on 26 March - six days after the start of the war in Iraq, which France had fought to prevent.

Another stunning french defeat...

[Ditto]

Mr Raffarin's government "will not tolerate any racist, anti-Semitic or xenophobic acts," Mr Cope quoted him as saying."

Ya, sure. The Frogs don't have big enough ba**s to stand up to their home-grown skin heads and Islamo-Nazis. Tollerate hell, they'll do what they have always done --- hide their eyes and pretend not to see it.

[TopQuark]

Mr Raffarin's government "will not tolerate any racist, anti-Semitic or xenophobic acts," Mr Cope quoted him as saying.

In a related development, Arafat denounced all forms of terrorism today.

[TopQuark]

It was either anti-War crowd or MacDonnald's: he needed sponsorship.

[rmvh]

Why do people think that the French will behave in a civilized manner when their financial gains are put at risk because of the war?

These people have no honor and will do anything for money......They have demonstrated this consistently in the past.

[KarlInOhio]

A Frenchman climbing up a building? Were there Germans on the street and upwards was the only way to retreat?

[aught-6]

The biased media can always paint a distorted picture with their statistics, can't they?

[witnesstothefall]

I don't think you get it. France's leaders have gone way out of their way to create and further stoke the atmosphere in which anti-American outrages are now commonplace in the streets and now even the countryside of France. They shall reap what they sow. Their cynical playing to the Arab gallery will backfire even more forcefully than the heavy price in lost trans-Atlantic trade.

This is more than a spat. This is a real loss of what was a trusted ally. We will continue the paper alliance, but for how long? Moreover, the demographic map of France's future suggests their current posture is only a taste of what must inevitably come.....

France is lost. France is f*^ked.

[Calpernia]

Whoa. I just caught this in the article "graffiti appeared on 26 March". And this article was written and photographic April 1??? So they didn't make it a priority to clean it up? Are they going to clean it up?

I take back what I said about being happy it was publicly condemned.

[gcruse]

Okay, I can't hold out any longer. That's me new wallpaper...

[M. Thatcher]

This tiff with France will blow over

Not if I can help it.

[JudyB1938]

EMAIL LINKS TO WORLD LEADERS ...

http://americasvictory.homestead.com/EmailLinks_WorldLeaders.html

[nanny]

AS far as the rift being permanent - I don't think that is going to happen.

I am not in any way condone what was done - it was beyond despicable - but so is the silly proposal of the congresswoman. Using the dead for her own political purposes - that is called dancing on the graves and it should be seen for what it is - opportunism without conscience. In my estimation, what she did is worse than the vandals - there are her own countrymen.

Now France has gone out of its way to cause these outbreaks? Wouldn't you say it might be a backlash at our ridiculous 'designer dissing' of French wines and cheese - for goodness sakes.

As bad as it is, vandalizing graves is not quite up there with buying into and moving to China the only company that makes components for some of our military hardware. Using our money for building up a massive military - for what purpose do you think?

It does not even rate a blimp compared to sending millions of poor, uneducated, diseased, and criminals to the US, bankrupting the country, and then demanding and getting from our very own administration all manner of rights for these people - and then not having the courtesy to stand with us - just in a vote -

No, France is a smokescreen to keep us from thinking about how much pushing Mexico and China are doing while we are at war. If we never had dealings with France again, if not one French product came into this country - it would make very, very little difference here. What we do or don't do about Mexico and China will very definitely make a difference. But hey, go ahead and have fun - wouldn't want anyone to be expected to tackle anything really important.

[witnesstothefall]

Wouldn't you say it might be a backlash at our ridiculous 'designer dissing' of French wines and cheese - for goodness sakes.

No I certainly wouldn't. The proposition that this spat has become about wine and cheese is absurd, I'm sorry. There is a very great game afoot. The times, they are a changin'. So fast it's hard to know where we'll be in 3 yrs much less 3 decades. History is accelerating, and that's unfortunate for France.

As far as France as smokescreen, I just don't follow what the heck u said. Sorry again. /w

[nanny]

As to smokescreen - it is good for the government to keep the Americans anger focused on France. It is not going to hurt the economy to not buy French products and it keeps the 'kiddies' occupied so they don't wonder why our government is doing nothing about China and the continued Mexican encroachment on our sovereignty.

China and Mexico are doing us more harm than France and her not supporting us can ever do. Besides not supporting us also - they are taking over the country. To my knowledge, France has not loaded us down with millions of her undesirables to care for and even the biggest French bashers will have to admit France poses no where near the threat to us that China does. We can only hope China doesn't start rumbling while we are engaged with this war.
.

We would not want people to ask our President why he is doing virtually nothing - less than nothing about the possibility of terrorists coming across the border. Don't give me the homeland defense stuff. All the tens of thousand of people they are going to put on the bridges and gates to protect us. That's where I would come in if I was a terrorist - march right across the bridge - of course, they probably are and will continue to do that also.

And we wouldn't want anyone to ask why we have done nothing to keep the manufacturing of necessary war materials in this country - and not export it to China and while it may be 'most favored' to PResident Bush - I fear, they do not feel the same way about us - it is just our money that is 'most favored'.

Just how far beyond wine and cheese does this go? I will admit I absolutely do not see why France is the only culprit here. It seems 99.8% of the world doesn't side with us and many of them are getting much more from us than France and many of them owe us for their freedom and survival - why France? That's why I say it is a smokescreen - tell me why it isn't a diversion and tell me what good it is going to do the US - as opposed say to sending illegals home and starting up our manufacturing if for no other reason than defense? None - it's a game - it is a feel-good bunch of silliness. It serves no purpose in the long run except to keep our minds off the real danger.

ASk youself how and when the Muslims gained so much influence and wealth in this country? ASk yourself why our President jumped in on a religious debate and sided with them? Ask youself why this country went, in a few short years, from arresting Christian children from praying outside the building before school, to allowing Muslim children out of class for their prayer times and providing a special room for them?

Those are scary questions - it is much easier to follow the crowd and bash France - that way we don't have to think about what is happeing.

[witnesstothefall]

I think yer nuts, actually. The crisis in French - American relations is a Bush administration conspiracy to cover for the real bad guys China and Mexico???????

No offense, but I ain't buyin' what u b sellin'..... I'm outta here.....

[nanny]

Running away????

No, I don't say that it is a conspiracy - but it does serve the government well for people to not ask too many questions as to why we are doing nothing about the two more destructive countries who are also not supporting us.

Why do you think we aren't?

I am not selling anything - I am telling it like it is. China and Mexico are putting the hurt on us BIG TIME and we are doing nothing about it because our President, even before 9/11 was so enamored with Mexico and he liked his 'most favored nation' China.

You haven't given me a reason why we aren't boycotting Mexico or China. I mean we are 'hearing no evil, speaking no evil and seeing no evil' about these folks.

But if you don't want to stay and play - that's fine. I have some Perrier with a twist and a wheel of Brie.