Sniper a French Deserter?

NewsMax ^ | 10/21/02 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

A French officer cadet listed as AWOL in Paris could be the Washington-area sniper, French media reported today.

France's RTL radio station, which first reported the news Monday, and various Paris newspapers identified the officer as a 25-year-old from Yugoslavia, who had enrolled in his second year at a French military school, United Press International said.

The man, whose name has not been released, was apparently a good marksman. He told friends he would spend the summer in Canada. But he was last seen in the United States, the radio station reported, without identifying which region.

RTL reported that some of the man's friends had apparently identified the Frenchman based on a tentative "robot portrait" being circulated of the sniper, who has killed nine people and wounded three others in apparently random shootings since Oct 2.

Meanwhile, in Washington, a Pentagon official told foreign military attaches Monday, quoting French sources, that a French officer in the United States on a sharpshooting course was missing from his unit.

In Paris, a French Foreign Ministry spokesman said only, "We give American authorities all the information that we have." But a French Defense Ministry spokesman contacted by United Press International would confirm only that the officer-in-training was missing.

"There is absolutely nothing that compels us to attach a link between the sniper and this young man," the spokesman said in a telephone interview. The spokesman also did not give the student's name.

He said the man was considered a military deserter, having been absent from military school for more than six days.

According to RTL, Paris sent a message over the weekend to the international police organization, Interpol, listing the man was missing.

Interpol in turn notified Washington, where, RTL reported, "he figures in the list of suspects" related to the Washington-area shootings.

Washington investigators have given no indication that a Frenchman could be among their suspects. But let's see: the yellowest member of the yellow military of the yellowest nation on Earth - it's certainly possible.

[clamper1797]

It is obvious that the sniper is NOT French. If he had been ... he would have surrendered by now

[Aquinasfan]

Now he's from Yugoslavia. Interesting.

[phasma proeliator]

I bet his first name is "patsy"

[Psycho_Bunny]

Well...make enough jokes about cheese and I'd suppose anyone would snap.

[mattdono]

...French Deserter...

I am sure that isn't the first time that those two words have appeared next to each other. 8^)~

Surely won't be the last

[Drango]

Aren't all French deserters?

[Arkie2]

You're right of course. Reports earlier said he was a Yugoslavian national in the French Army. If he was a Serb I believe he might hold a grudge for US involvement in that war and if he's muslim, well it goes without saying what his motivation would be.

[Plutarch]

Be on the lookout:

What is that rifle anyway?

[Revolting cat!]

"I dee-man-deh eh knew koh-meh-dee bye Zherry Lou-ees!!!"

[Nick Danger]

French terrorism... now I've seen everything. Not only that, but they don't even send us a lousy Renault or Citroen terrorist. They send us a Yugo terrorist. No wonder Moose is in charge... it's the cheese! If true, this is very series.

[Revolting cat!]

A propos dude, I love those French desserts!

[MattinNJ]

I posted a while ago my theory on who the sniper was on one of the various sniper threads. I felt the biggest clue was his ability to shoot women and children. The only place I remember this taking place on a large scale was in Sarajevo.

[SwinneySwitch]

...tentative "robot portrait"

? ? ?

[Raven6]

That rifle is a FAMAS... A French "Bullpup" style rifle similar in size to the Steyer AUG, and the British L82A1.

Stay armed,
Raven6

[snippy_about_it]

My thoughts exactly, robot portrait, hmm. Time to search the french papers for a picture of this.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

CNC
Breaking News
Monday, October 21, 2002 4:53

The 5:00 sniper update has been cancelled.

[Sonny M]

Bear in Mind this guy is NOT french, he is yugoslavian, which I think means he's probably serbian, he served in the french forces, probably got the training, he may be muslim, and he's gone.

[1bigdictator]

Surrendered, or attempted to improperly shoot the rifle with the barrel firmly lodged in his shoulder.

[OKSooner]

Yes, a FAMAS. Best deal on a used rifle in the world. Never fired, only thrown down once...