THE exchange could hardly have been worse for the French police as they strive to allay their reputation as enemy of the ethnic estates. TF1, the television channel, showed a young Arab on the outskirts of Lyons objecting politely about the insulting manner of an officer who had demanded his identity papers. "You want me to take you to a transformer?" the officer sneers back, referring to the electricity station where two teenagers were electrocuted while fleeing an identity check. The incident sparked the riots. "We don't give a shit if your estate calms down," said the officer, using the...