Posted on 01/19/2006 5:01:43 AM PST by wolf78
BREST, France (Reuters) - France said on Thursday it would be ready to launch a targeted nuclear strike against any state that carried out a terrorist attack on French soil.
In a speech defending France's costly nuclear deterrent and toughening policy against terrorism, President Jacques Chirac said Paris must be able to hit back hard at a hostile state's centers of power and its "capacity to act."
"The leaders of states who would use terrorist means against us, as well as those who would consider using in one way or another weapons of mass destruction, must understand that they would lay themselves open to a firm and adapted response on our part," Chirac said during a visit to northwestern France, where France's nuclear submarines are based.
"This response could be a conventional one. It could also be of a different kind."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
BuHuHaHa! This is a point of view that I can share easily. BTW - nothing against your grapes but if they grow such a cold and rainy island they will be quite sour. I prefer French wines - although without any nuclear fallout.
What's the down side? < /sarc >
We in Britain have a regiment whose speciality is killing Muslims - they are called The Ghurkas!
The Ghurkas then:
http://www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/Ghurkas.htm
and The Ghurkas now:
http://www.army.mod.uk/brigade_of_gurkhas/rgr/index.htm
I do. When all hell broke loose over that statement Tom didn't back down either.
Not a good analogy, the leaders of the Catholic church didn't support IRA terrorism, and Catholicism itself was not a motive in the IRA cause - the IRA is nationalist, not religious.
Compare and contrast the Vatican's stance on IRA terrorism vs. the Saudi religious leaders' stance on Islamic terrorism. The Vatican is simply uninvolved with the IRA - Mecca is ground zero for Islamic terror.
If you can find an instance of Catholic religious leaders supporting IRA terror that is similar to the regular exhortations by Islamic leaders in Mecca, then I will modify my opinion.
I see your point but wonder what would have been the result if the Pope had said to the IRA, "Knock that crap off."
Tut! Such ignorance of my island! The Isle of Wight has a fabulous climate as it is washed on all sides by the gulf stream. The Romans first started wine-growing here 1900 years ago and the quality of the wine was sought after right across the Roman Empire. Even today, there are dozens of vineyards producing superb light, crisp whites with the help of that climate and our light chalky soils. Having met many french wine workers, I cannot bring myself to drink French wine as their personal hygiene leaves something to be desired. Do you boil your wine before you drink it? ;-)
This is easy to answer:
1. Israel can not do that because they haven't got enough equipment for such a large operation. Furthermore it would be politically illogical since this would provoke all Islamic countries to no end. In such a case it is quite likely that Musharaf would topple and his nuclear BS would be left to some idiots. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Syria would do anything they could against Israel and the US. It is possible that Israel could be drawn into a secondary war with a new front. Not funny. Last but not least - the Iranians can use the Hezbollah morons for nuclear, biological or chemical attacks in Israel. Since the Israelis only have 7 Million inhabitants it is possible that they loose a big part of their population to such attacks.
2. France only can support such a action due to its limited possiblities.
3. The UK only can support such a action due to its limited possiblities.
4. Germany only can support such a action due to its limited possiblities.
5. The Turks will not react since they have a good relationsship with Iran. They only will move if there is something to "win".
6. Other NATO-countries like the Poles or the Czech republic only can support either.
7. Last but not least the US. If they react then only if other nations like numer 2-6 will join in.
Personally I do not believe that a war is going to happen since some bombing will not help either. It is impossible to eliminate such a nuclear program with air strikes only. To win you need "boots on the ground". There is no nation (exept China :-)) that has the manpower to do this. We should not forget that this is not such a weak nation like Iraq. America is bound in other places. Besides - in a millitary conflict it will be quite likely that the Iranians mine the Street of Hormuz (=> No oil from Kuweit, Iraq and parts of Saudi Arabia). I would do that if I were the Iranian commander in chief. This is a really simple way to crash the world economy.
I do not know why it is that difficult to blow Ahmadinejad and Khamenei into pieces with a good old MOSSAD-, KGB-, CIA-, MI5, BND- or whatever action. Just give those who have the will the means to do it. This would save the souls of many innocent people and would be far more effective than just to bomb some known facilities (with many more unknown). There is a strong Iranian opposition that would cooperate with the West. Even Rasfanjani would cooperate since he proofed to be a intelligent politician.
That would be a valid request if the IRA was conducting its campaign in the name of Catholicism. It could also be argued that by adhering to the Ten Commandments (including "Thou shalt not murder") that the Vatican did in fact weigh in against the IRA. Furthermore, the IRA terrorism was not designed to kill, it was designed to disrupt. IRA bombs, unlike Islamic bombs, almost all came with a warning for people to get away from the area. It was clear that killing people was not the goal, another dramatic difference. But even staying mute on the issue is a long long way from the explicit exhortations to terror that come out of Mecca every single day, day after day, year after year after year.
The bold is his out. Since AQ is not a "state" but an organization.
This from the country that harbored the nut that started the whole mess in the first place, the Ayatollah Khomeini.
I expect the IRA's response to a pope telling them to stop fighting would be the same as if the pope told catholic American soldiers in Iraq the war was wrong and to go home. You are either loyal to your country or to your pope - if your country and your pope disagree, you have to make a decision who matters most.
Sounds like a beautiful place.
I agree
Besides - We do not boil our wines before drinking it. We temper them since we did not made such bad experiences with the hygiene of Frenchies in general.
We Germans have quite good wine although you can't buy the good one abroad (German wine in America - Liebfrauenmilch - Urrks-Hualp). Espechially wines from the Kaiserstuhl (a extinct volcano in the Rhine valley) are delicious. If you ever come to my contry it would be a pleasure to drink a bottle (or two) with you. :-)
I've never heard such a load of crap in all my life. IRA bombs were all designed to kill - all terrorist bombs are.
I was in Warrington on March 20th 1993 when the IRA detonated one of their bombs without warning. It was a quiet saturday morning just before mothers day and the main shopping street was packed with children looking for gifts. The bomb exploded in a litter bin killing 3 year old Johnathan Ball in his pushchair and 12 year old Tim Parry. Often the IRA gave no warning, usually they gave it with minutes to sapre and no chance of evacuation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/northern_ireland/latest_news/152156.stm
You should be ashamed of your apologism for terrorism.
don't ask the brits for food :) (I just say deep fried mars bars)
..almost all came with a warning for people to get away from the area
This is factually accurate. One instance otherwise does not contradict what I said. If you think IRA and Islamic terror are not fundamentally different then you don't understand the threat of Islam.
While I'm at it, I find it absolutely absurd that you would call me an apologist for terrorism, when I was inside the World Trade Center at the time of the 1993 bombing and nearby on 9/11. When the Irish want to kill all non-Irish everywhere and dominate the globe with their ideology, then maybe you'd have a valid point.
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