Sarkozy flies to rescue, lands in French-African mess

Super Sarko is riding to the rescue once again today, flying to Africa to bring back French journalists and Spanish flight crew who were caught up in the fiasco of Zoe's Ark in Chad.

For those new to the story, catch up here. What's fascinating about the affair is the way that a bunch of over-zealous charity cowboys from the northern Paris suburbs have dragged President Sarkozy into just the kind of traditional French-African mess that he wants to avoid. France is once again cosying up to one of its African clients and it has tripped over its own humanitarian doctrines, as propounded by Bernard Kouchner, the dashing activist whom Sarko appointed Foreign Minister last May.

The arrest of the Zoe's Ark crew was a windfall for Idriss Déby, the Chadian president, because it has given him leverage at a time when Sarko wanted to distance France from its history of propping up unsavoury leaders in its former colonies. The French military helped install Déby in power in 1990 and on the orders of President Chirac the French contingent of 1,200 men plus Mirage jets saved his skin from an imminent revolt last year.  With his power under threat from armed opponents, Déby needs France more than ever.

Under French pressure this autumn he accepted a plan for a European force with a humanitarian mission to be stationed on his eastern frontier with Darfour.

Now Sarkozy has been forced to flatter and cajole Déby -- in daily phone calls this week and today in N'Djamena -- in order to extract the French journalists and Spanish cabin crew and work out some deal on the fate of the six from Zoe's Ark plus the pilots. Like Sarkozy's operation to rescue Bulgarian nurses from Libya last July, his mission today is certain to include sweeteners for Déby and Chad.

The mini-crisis over a reckless charity operation has forced Sarko to eat humble pie after he laid down a tough, guilt-free approach to Africa. The European powers should stop repenting over slavery and their colonial record and Africans should take responsibility for the backwardness, corruption and misrule of their nations, Sarko believes.

He caused a furore across Africa when he announced his doctrine in an extraordinarily undiplomatic speech in Senegal in July. Local leaders could not believe their ears when he told them: "Africa bears a share of responsibility for its own misfortune: colonisaton is not responsible for the bloody wars which Africans wage among themselves, for the genocides, dictators, fanaticism, corruption and prevarication."

The Zoe's Ark operation to abduct 103 children from the Chad-Darfour frontier and fly them for effective adoption in France plays straight into the stereotype of colonial exploitation. Déby saw the potential in a flash, saying on the day of the arrests: "These people treat us like animals: there you have the Europe which tries to teach lessons to our country." 

Sarko may win some domestic glory for his mercy dash today, but his government remains entangled in the Zoe's Ark story. It has to explain why, despite repeated warnings, it was unable to prevent a band of amateur do-gooders embarking on a mad mission to "save" supposed orphans from the Darfur conflict. It is clear now that Eric Breteau, the fireman boss, and his mates rounded up Chadian children who were not orphans, with false promises to their parents. They saw themselves as Robin Hoods, riding rough-shod over the rules in the cause of humanity -- in other words following the doctrines of Kouchner and his humanitarian interventionists.  That explains why Kouchner has stayed quiet in the Chad affair. His enemies in the government and international NGOs say that his excited rhetoric about genocide and mass murder in Darfour incited the Zoe's Ark people.

Sarkozy could have done without this imbroglio just as he is about to fly off to Washington this week for his first official visit. If you haven't already seen him making a fool of himself on CBS's Sixty Minutes show, here it is: 

Sarkozy dans "60 minutes" sur CBS

Comments

[Helen]

Re: the CBS disaster, what was it that Sarko so smugly said to Mme. Royale during their presidential debate? "Pour etre président, il faut etre calme", if I remember correctly. Hmmmmm....

[azloon]

Chad is a god-forsaken corner of the world. i met an oil worker on an airplane going to portland, oregon who spent every other month in chad working for their goverment oil operation (he had formerly worked for exxon there), alternating months in a cabin in remote orgeon.

he told me chad has some of the richest, most fertile, farmland in africa, that largely goes to waste because of tribal bickering. the workers at this remote outpost considered planting a huge garden to provide food for the locals, but tribal chiefs convinced them such a gesture would be futile since vandals would steal any produce before maturity, and general screw up the whole operation.

france and chad deserve each other. non-french now will have an opportunity to take potshots are french foreign policy as france has done for years to the u.s.

CB, it is amazing how many americans were in complete agreement with sarko's handling of diane sawyer's 'ambush' (his view) in that interview. they did not consider his behavior 'making a fool of himself. just the opposite: giving the media a taste of it's own medicine.

[Actu75]

Who is making more a fool of him/herself?
Sarkozy refusing to answer a question?
Or Lesley Stahl mentioning -quote- "the law that forbids anyone in France from working more thant thirty-five hours a week?"

[Sandrine]

"what was it that Sarko so smugly said to Mme. Royale during their presidential debate? "Pour etre président, il faut etre calme","

Exactly ! But when he loses his calm that's ok, if it's Sego, that's not ok. Now you know the rules Helen, why are you surprised ?

This interview was filmed before the divorce was announced, nobody in France would dare ask the President where his wife was, congrats to the american journalist who was not afraid of him ! I wish other journalists would do the same : not hesitate to ask les questions qui fâchent ! It's not their role to ask him only questions that he likes.

And what about Sarko saying that his counselor is an "imbécile" ? He says that to a journalist ? An American one ? What is she ? His buddy or what ? How come he can't behave (just for once) in a good way ? I mean, does he always have to play the child "mal élevé" ?

[Sandrine]

"Or Lesley Stahl mentioning -quote- "the law that forbids anyone in France from working more than thirty-five hours a week?""

Yeah that was stupid. Mais c'est ce dont les Américains sont persuadés, donc elle ne va pas leur faire un cours non plus...

"CB, it is amazing how many americans were in complete agreement with sarko's handling of diane sawyer's 'ambush'"

Not all of them Azloon, not all the Americans agreed with his behaviour...

[stephen Bull]

From what I understood from the video, Sarkozy had forbidden questions on Cecilia. If the interviewer had accepted this condition, I think he was right to leave, and he did so quite well in the circumstances. As for the irritability before the interview, was its transmission approved?
I agree with AZLOON.

[jose estero montero]

Congratulations to Frech people.And thankyou from an spanish.You have a great President.Spain´s is a shame.

[rocket]

Charles

"Now Sarkozy has been forced to flatter and cajole Déby -- in daily phone calls this week and today in N'Djamena -- in order to extract the French journalists and Spanish cabin crew and work out some deal on the fate of the six from Zoe's Ark plus the pilots. Like Sarkozy's operation to rescue Bulgarian nurses from Libya last July, his mission today is certain to include sweeteners for Déby and Chad."

I don't think the French are dupe to this bullshit anymore. I'm just wondering if the man can fix a parking ticket for me. The Bulgarian nurses affair was a fiasco that Cecilia stepped in at the last moment while Europe had previously worked for their freedom. It appears the Germans were not so happy.

But this one is a Franco - Francaise affair and I am sure tomorrow morning there will be a lot of questions asked in the ever doubting French press.

I put no "arrangement" beyond this guy.

He reminds me of Messier 6M or whatever thinking he could conquer the world. Unfortunately a coup de "payoffs" that we will never know about becasue this is France.

I'm happy for the people liberated but I would hate to see French captured by the Taliban and see what happens.

Azloon

"CB, it is amazing how many americans were in complete agreement with sarko's handling of diane sawyer's 'ambush' (his view) in that interview. they did not consider his behavior 'making a fool of himself. just the opposite: giving the media a taste of it's own medicine."

That's because most Americans (leftists) don't know the history behind all of this as long as Britney is getting front page news.

Az.. In the past Sarko put him and his wife up as the next Kennedys and then it petered (literally)out. I think journalists had the right to ask him about it without him storming off in Gallic opaqueness.

The American press can really be f**king stupid when it comes to France.

They live on this romantic crap idea of free love and shut your mouth.

In other words if you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

I am like sooooo waiting for the first outburst from Sarko to come against the US.

[Daniel Strohl]

Charles,

Excellent idea to have made easily available a long extract of "60 minutes". I had heard commentaries about it, but that was all.

The interviewing lady spoke an excellent American (excellent because I understood almost every word she said; she had the courtesy and the intelligence to speak slowly and clearly, in order to make things easier for Sarkozy and BTW for standard French like me who are usually not bilingual ...- even the French ambassador made some smaller mistakes in English...).

Sarkozy had the courage to give his opionion about the US, knowing that this would not make him popular with our "élites de gauche", with most of our press "bien pensante" and with some other layers of the French who still are dreaming of "le grand soir". Ok, he was addressing Americans, not French, but nevertheless.

Azloon,

"CB, it is amazing how many americans were in complete agreement with sarko's handling of diane sawyer's 'ambush' (his view) in that interview."

I too am in complete agreement with Sarko's handling. May be the press lady did not really mean to make "an ambush" - she asked a question which she thought (or feigned to think) to be totally "normal". May be this kind of question is "normal" in the US. It is not the case here, and it is good so. Sarko's reaction was in my opinion controlled and justified; "Pour etre président, il faut être calme". Il a été aussi calme que possible, mais très ferme. En tant que président, il n'a pas à être à la disposition de la presse, même américaine, pour répondre à des questions insidieuses et indiscrètes d'ordre strictement privé.

[azloon]

[Not all of them Azloon, not all the Americans agreed with his behaviour...] Sandrine

Sandrine -- did you go out on the street in front of the french embassy and conduct a poll? or did you find one or two americans who didn't agree, and thus your conclusion that "not all americans' agree.

i agree, not all americans agree. i didn't even say i agree.

my conclusion was based the first sixty comments on the timesonline story immediately following the broadcast. sixty or so of seventy writers, which by any standard is an almost unbelievable majority (all americans but three or four) thought sarko's behavior was justified.

they mostly were critical of the media in general, and it's appetite for juicy celebrity tidbits. and sarko IS a celebrity, abeit an elected one whose salary, and jet fuel, are being paid by the french people

MY opinion is that he was way too 'touchy," and betrayed an arrogant, childish attitude by having an on-air 'hissy fit,' then storming off. there were many ways to handle his irritation which would have demonstrated a little more "cool.'

but judging from the comments cited above, perhaps he's aware he can get away with little emotional explosions with no negative consequence, other than the predictable reaction from the left.

and i am on HIS side. with friends like me, he doesn't need any enemies.

p.s. i am happy, for your sake, that you are a fonctionnaire(sp?) and not a political appointee.

[Helen]

"Now you know the rules Helen, why are you surprised ?"

I wasn't in the slightest bit surprised, ha ha. Oh Nicolas. How you entertain us...

As for the rescue mission in Chad, I thought that was Cécilia's scene?...oh yes, I forgot there for a moment. ;)

[Donald]

CB: "If you haven't already seen him making a fool of himself on CBS's Sixty Minutes show, here it is"

Au contraire! The interview was VERY pro-Sarkozy throughout. I don't normally take the side of a French politician, but Sarkozy was perfectly in his rights. He said that he was not willing to discuss his relationship with his wife on TV. Lesley Stahl asked a second time - quite rudely, in my opinion - after she had been told frankly he was not prepared to talk about it. When she insisted on pursuing the question, he walked off. Bravo, Monsieur Sarkozy!

[rocket]

jose estero montero

Si tu sabes la verdad sobre Sarkozy caballero! paga paga paga y paga!

[Derin]

So...not satisfied with centuries long theft and pillage of African peoples and resources, Europeans now wants to forcibly adopt African children.

[Valentin]

"Exactly ! But when he loses his calm that's ok, if it's Sego, that's not ok"

Just as with me hating the left: it's always down to the REASONS behind each situation (en l'occurence Ségolène Royal had none worth flaming over, it was all for the show).

[Daniel Strohl]

Rocket,

"In other words if you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen".

Why do you still stay IN the kitchen (i.e France)? If you continue, you will flame your remaining little grey cells ... LOL

[Sandrine]

"In the past Sarko put him and his wife up as the next Kennedys and then it petered (literally)out. I think journalists had the right to ask him about it without him storming off in Gallic opaqueness."

Exactly ! (except for the gallic thing, I totally agree with you).

"As for the rescue mission in Chad, I thought that was Cécilia's scene?...oh yes, I forgot there for a moment. ;)"

hehe, now he really has to do EVERYTHING by himself. Poor guy...

Valentin,
Yeah, I know, Sarko ALWAYS has a good reason to do whatever he does and Sego NEVER has a good reason to do whatever she does. When they do the same thing, Sego is wrong, Sarko is right. C'est bon, je connais ma leçon ! ;o)

[Dominique]

Sandrine,

I am sorry to say that Sarko had a point on this one. While Ségo clearly had lost her calm on the debate, i did not see Sarko losing his on CBS. Quite the opposite indeed : "i don't like the question, i say it once. I don't like it again, i leave". That's the least we can expect from a president : don't bother with a stupid journalist!

On the "Arche de Zoé" issue, i saw the report from the taken journalist on "66 minutes" on M6 (not CBS!) and i am absolutly horrified by what i saw. These were not naïve people trying to save children, they were pervers "humanitarian" with a mad ego willing to make the news! The mad gourou even claiming he was ready to go to jail for "saving" children, hidding them from all local autorities, local employees and parents! These people deserve to be punished for what they did : stealing children and choosing them according to their look! Let them rot in jail! Humanitarians must respect all laws, especially local laws! I hope they will be judged in Tchad and that France won't try to bring them back to France in order to avoid a trial. That would be a postcolonialist shame. Watch out Sarko! If we want foreigners in France to be punished when they don't behave, we need to accept punishment when french don't behave abroad!

Regarding the journalists, they were actually filming those people actually stealing these children, even asking them questions such as "do you feel confortable stealing these children? do you respect the law?".

One question needs to be raised : when is a journalist guilty of "letting criminal doing their crime" without intervention? Looking at the M6 report, i was seing an almost accomplice journalist. That was like "non assitance à personne en danger" according to french law.

More, the "third" journalist was there as a member of the arche de zoé and was chosing a child for her own! she is now back to France with no problem! What a shame.

What would be your journalist ethic Charles?

PS : And this has nothing to do with Kouchner's doctrine! I never heard him telling us to go and steal children! Please don't mix l'arche de Zoé with serious and brilliant organizations such as Medecin sans frontiere or medecins du monde.

[Mary Fernandez]

Sarko didn't 'storm' off. He was very polite, but firm. He declined to comment once and she persisted. Leslie Stahl made an ass of herself. The overwhelming number of comments at the 60 Minutes website were pro-Sarkozy (from Americans). Interestingly, the relatively few anti-Sarkozy comments all seemed to be from rather bitter Frenchies.

[azloon]

Mary Fernandez confirms what i said about the timesonline website -- mostly pro-sarko comments from americans.

you have to understand the standard practice of 60 Minutes reporters, which they've been doing for twenty years: deliberately put interviewees "on the spot," with embarassing or incriminating questions, hoping to get them to squirm before the cameras. sarko called them at their game, and got the hell out of there though he could have conveyed his annoyance with a little more tact.

[what's up doc?]

Totally agree that the leader of Arche de Zoé has the gleam of zeal in his eye - the word "guru" had occured to me too. Seems a charismatic and dangerous type.
That Sarkozy stormed off set in an interview destined for the USA viewer doesn't seem to trouble anyone in France too much - it's causing amusement in the media rather than anything else.
The worst thing he did was to treat his press secretary as an "imbécile and "tu es vraiment un enfant" so publicly - the man has a case for suing for harcèlement professionnel at the very least - there are plenty of witnesses! Une affaire mondiale!
However, Martinon was a "promotion" of Cécila's n'est-ce pas? So maybe he was getting some deflected revenge-anger en plein figure?
If the man doesn't resign tout de suite or ASAP, then what credibility does he have left, not to speak of self-respect?
At present, it's one fiasco hot on the heels of the one before.

[christopher muir]

Having just watched video footage shot at Madrid airport of Sarkozy's arrival alongside the weary journalists and hostesses, my impression was that he was surprisingly subdued. He seemed to be endorsing the Chadian justice system which might not promise a bright future for those still held in grim surroundings. The freed should be eternally grateful that Sarkozy still has a zeal for springing European prisoners from foreign jails. The clumsy l'arche de Zoe people can hardly expect further presidential intervention on their behalf. And one wonders about the remaining Spanish flight crew, too.

[Maggie G]

I just watched it a second time and I personally don't see anything embarrassing about his behaviour at all. He didn't storm off, he shook her hand and then even patted her on the shoulder. He seemed perfectly in control of himself.

Since he didn't want to do the interview in the first place, it seemed like he was using the Cecelia question as a good excuse to end the interview.

I thought he made a good point when he asked her, "Why did YOU insist on interviewing me?" , and also when he said, "I got to be president because I WANTED it, and I've paid the price."

I think I agree with Dominique on the Arche de Zoé issue. I didn't see the M6 report he was talking about, so I am not so well-informed about this question.

[Michel S.]

Didn't the British Queen storm off from a recent photo shoot arranged by the BBC? If I recall, the photographer wanted her to remove her crown and was rather impolite about it.

I'm all for journalists doing hard investigation and not being cowed by authorities, but breaking a promise for something that ought to be a non-issue such as what Cecilia is up to...

[On the BBC, no, the Queen didn't walk out. The BBC got into trouble for inventing that story. CB]

[Nano84]

British media has nothing else to report so they waste their times after Sarkozy. I bet you if that had been the Queen I doubt it that video would be here.

[Marina]

When you take up a job as president you do not sign up to Media Privacy Intrusion.

Nobody talks about their private affairs to just 'anybody', so human beings like presidents and prime ministers should be entitled to their own privacy don't we think?

The French president is a mixture of good and not good things, the French people will have just to wait and see how clever he is at his job in balance.

On his love for many US things -I don't use American that is a continent and I am Latin-American- I see nothing wrong with that. When one visits France it is evident that people there like many things from the US, only not in a stupid manner as other countries do when loosing their own cultural identity!

As for the English, I invite you to celebrate Bonfire Night-Guy Fawkes with more spirit than Halloween!!!

Cheers

[rocket]

Mary

"Sarko didn't 'storm' off. He was very polite, but firm."

I don't think that was so polite to call his chief of staff imbecile and stupid on a report that he knew would go on the airwaves.

"Ensuite il persiste et signe" continuously insulting his chief of staff.

Very Presidential indeed.

To our some of our French friends

It seems as if you've got your own kind of Cowboy President.

Maybe I'm missing some cultural differences here or maybe some people "prends leur pied" with this type of behaviour.

Once again, I repeat, if he was going to use his wife to free hostages etc and give the impression that this was a first family, there has to be some degree of accountability.

Now he has to fly off on his own to make sure the world is safe for democracy.

[Helen]

I, like many others, thought Sarko handled the Cécilia questioning quite well; I was referring to his pre-interview tantrum and his treatment of poor Mr. Martinon - now that was most definitely uncalled for.

[what's up doc?]

The only place I've seen or heard Sarkozy referred to as "Sarko l'Américain" is on this blog and in the CBS report link. Perhaps I've just missed hearing all these French reporters and politicians who supposedly call him that? Qui sait?

Helen,

It would appear that Sarko had instructed his entourage not to discuss his personal life under any circumstances, donc le pauvre Martinon était peut-être un peu coupable!!!
His response to the interviewtrice's question was dead on, whether the divorce was posted or not is immaterial.
On the Chad issue, we'll just wait pour Le Canard Enchainé wondering whether it will be diamonds, secret Mauretanian bank accounts, special treatment for Pixie Petrol, shares in the lake drainage company or similar Gabon.

[Terry]

I love that Sarkozy walked out on Diane Sawyer. Here's a man who wants to modernize France, and Diane asks him about his zipper. These are the same liberal jerks who said the Clinton/Lewinsky affair was "private".

Jacques never spoke so well of the "The King" by the way.

[John Gregory Flinn]

"The Zoe's Ark operation to abduct 103 children from the Chad-Darfour frontier and fly them for effective adoption in France plays straight into the stereotype of colonial exploitation"

That's a bit much.
It is, however profoundly racist.

The mindset of the 'do-gooders' in Zoe's Arc is clearly that 'Africa and Africans cannot look after their own children as well as we can do it in France, or Europe!'

This may not be the first time either. Some 3-4000 african children have been adopted in France over the last year or so. How did they get here?

I understand the French airforce have played a part, and Sarko's minister, Rama Yade has been asked to explain.
So Idriss Déby may have a point.

Your penultimate paragrah, Mr. Bremner is very much to the point.

[Dominique]

John Greg Flinn

"This may not be the first time either. Some 3-4000 african children have been adopted in France over the last year or so. How did they get here?"

We are now exactly to the point why we should send Zoé's people to jail : people start believing all adopted children have been stolen from their parents! John, i am sorry to see you into that.

THAT IS NOT TRUE : when law is respected, shedule followed, then adoption is a chance for both, parents and children. This is exactly why rules and laws are made for! Please John, don't spoil the great job regular people and true professional are doing! It takes month to get the official "agrement" in order to adopt, it may take years when you follow the right legal path, according to the country you work with. Tchad was not even open to foreign adoption! The tchadian autorities did forbid forreigners from adopting! These people where not "adopting", they were "stealing"!

Terry,

"I love that Sarkozy walked out on Diane Sawyer. Here's a man who wants to modernize France, and Diane asks him about his zipper. "

I completly agree! Sarko's reaction was right! but it was very "old french" indeed and very classical for France; something like "don't even think about asking about my sex life!"

So, he wasn't modernizing France at that point because France is already very modern regarding this. As you say, the Lewinsky affair was absolutly grotesque according the french standards. Thank god, presidents are allowed a blow job by an adult woman if she wants to! I wish Sarko plenty of them... It will make him take better decisions!

The truth is that he played the "royal family" card for the last 2 or 3 years and that was not modern at all. That was very much Kennedy or Giscard d'Estaing 60 & 70's style. He therefore needed a strong backlash. This backlash was scheduled since the very beginning as France cultural habits are too strong (thank God!). "C'était écrit" do we say in french (it was all written down from the begining)

I believe he is now back to normal french politician behavior. And that's very good so. Sarko just can't help it, he though he was american, but he's french...

[what's up doc?]

L'Arche de Zoé - straight away the name sounds like the beginning of a confidence-trick. I understand that they "selected" families from lists of would-be adoptive parents and asked them for 1400 euros to bring the children from Tchad to France and to cover the costs of the humanitarian mission. And there were people who paid up. Just like a con-trick. There is even at least one family who have lodged a complaint because they were told, after having paid, that they were considered unsuitable. Quoi?? and everyone sworn to secrecy.
Sometimes France is a one-theme country, a little while ago it was plastic surgery abominations, then anorexia / bulimia.
Lately there have been countless programmes about adopting children from abroad. In all cases the adoptive family had to go to the country and complete the paperwork before being able to bring their child to France, taking up to 2 months. From the experience of a friend who adopted a Vietnamese child, I know that there was, on return, a 6-month period in which the child was assessed before being granted French nationality.
Were these families who paid l'Arche de Zoé just plain naïve? How did they think the ONG were going to get over 100 children into France "sans papiers" as the saying we are all familiar with goes?
It's clear the government knew what was going on, but though warnings were issued, this didn't stop the ONG from getting help from the French army.
The members of this ONG are now learning a very hard lesson - that Tchad is indeed a sovereign state and will apply its own laws. I don't think their immediate future looks too good. Should they be sentenced to forced labour in Tchad, some of them won't be coming back. Their complacency, their zeal, their lack of respect for Tchad's and France's laws has got them into more trouble they ever thought possible.
By the way, I agree with an earlier post, that it's a fine line drawn indeed when a journalist films and reports wrong-doings, between letting the rest of us know what's going on and non-assistance to persons in danger. The report as shown on M6 yesterday evening does the reporters credit, but is damning for the Arche de Zoé "mission".
It's also a fine line between whether these people should now be repatriated on humanitarian grounds or left in the hands of Tchadian justice - which up to now seems to be doing a fair job.
Europe's relationship with Africa is really being explored on an equal footing over this.

[Daniel Strohl]

Dominique,

Re : your post dated 4.Nov 21:26

I agree with your post, even if I have not watched "66 minutes" on M6. However, I saw similar things on other channels - it was quite enough to be able to draw the same conclusions as you.

May be there are one or two true idealists in the "Arche" group. Regarding the others, I have strong doubts, to say the least. The Tchadiens too, and one may understand them fully.

The choice of the name of that splendid "humanitarian organization", l'Arche, is furthermore not very intelligent. French over 35 will certainly recall that there was a big scandal may be 15 years ago in a "charitable" foundation (led by a well known "professor", who was in fact not professor) collecting successfully huge funds for cancer research. However, it appeared that the "professor" was a really dishonest man. He was judged and sentenced to several years jail for embezzlement. The name of his organization was (already) l'Arche !

[Actu75]

@Sandrine
"Yeah that was stupid. Mais c'est ce dont les Américains sont persuadés, donc elle ne va pas leur faire un cours non plus..."

I am late as uusal and much has been said (as usual). But your post scares me. Elle ne va pas leur faire un cours? That's precisely what a journalist should when necessary: inform even and especially against the prejudgments of its readers/watchers. "60 minutes" has a reputation of excellence but provides here news of the same level than Fox news. C'est un signe inquiétant.

[rocket]

Terry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_property_bubble

Spanish housing bubble.

I don't know if the other thread is dead so I'm putting it here.

When I think that in 1971 as an 18 year old when I first visited Spain from the US I could have bought a house with a pool in the Costa del sol with my savings. (Franco years) Today I couldn't touch that with a ten foot pole.

PS - I'm looking for an article about the bubble from the NYTimes that I read a few months ago but can't seem to find it.

[rocket]

I think someone in a Liberation column today asked if Sarkozy couldn't get his cat down from a tree.

LMAO

[Dion Per Sona]

This is the video footage you need to remember; it is the most vividly recalled in the context of routine presidential rescue operations which are beginning to follow a predictable B-Grade movie script:

The Myth, the Legend brought to life? Here>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTfdiHxYivA

The one the kids sang for years, much preferred: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXFpnsmhJzQ

Z.

[christopher muir]

Sarkozy should have known about the style of America's 60 Minutes. It's no more than "info-tainment" - current affairs driven by an emotional element within a quite simplistic format. The show does its job very well for a faithful audience who aren't always very demanding when it comes to detailed facts. Sawyer could have approached the Cecelia zone by first praising Sarko's Libya strategy, presaging some gentle prodding before aiming for the target.. Unfortunately, subtlety doesn't reign in that particular TV environment. If 60 Minutes were interviewing Musharref today in Islamabad, I'm pretty sure the first question would be "Mr President, are you with us or are you against us?" Another exit no doubt..

[The 3rd Column]

Agree with Sarkozy. He's the president for heavens' sake -- why piss around?

The CBS woman interviewer wanted to create a scoop. Well, she's got it. Hope she learned a lesson there -- she wants to interview the president, then she shouldn't piss around about his ex-wife. What has that got to do with his running the country?

[stet]

Did you notice how great France's diplomatic relations are getting with countries surrounding Sudan?

http://testsociety.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/countries-surrounding-sudan/

[rocket]

Hi 3rd

"she wants to interview the president, then she shouldn't piss around about his ex-wife. What has that got to do with his running the country?"

We'll she did make some political decisions for him as an advisor. This is quite well documented in french journalism. I believe she had an office next to his and she went to Libya as his personal emissary and had the offices moved out to Versailles which is usually the retreat of the Prime Minister. So there has to be a little accountability.

Now the story is finished but beginning of Oct it was very much newsworthy.

[what's up doc?]

Interesting that the comparison be drawn between ARC and the Arche de Zoé - I hadn't thought of that - makes it even more suspicious. I was thinking of all the brand-named goods that are imitations and have just one letter changed in the name to dupe the shopper.
I was also thinking of Thomas Keneally's book which was first published as "Schindler's Ark" which became "Schindler's List" only when it was adapted for the cinema (though I don't attribute this to Breteau et Cie, more a train of thought). (I always found it strange that Spielberg should wish to change such an aptly symbolic name, but I digress.)
en tous cas, the ersatz biblical reference in the choice of name for this ONG convinces me even more that from the start there was a notion of con-trickery.
I don't believe however that there was no way to stop them going - are visas needed to travel to Tchad? If the government knew of their activities, surely they could have been stopped en route? Via ambassadorial channels? On landing in Tchad? It didn't need to come to this with so many people in the know. Anyone think there might be a sub-plot?

[Dominique]

D.Strohl,

Agree with the silly name "Arche de Zoé". We could even push it. The name was choosen according the "Arche de Noé" from the bible. This, i think, is very "symptomatique" of a postcolonial guilt complex we can see everywhere in France : more and more people believe that life is just impossible in Africa, as it is supposed to be poor, and that we (France, as former colonial power) are responsible for saving Africa. We should therefore "save" african children, and take them in "Zoé's Arch" before they just...sink!

This just lead to more colonial - postcolonial behavior : believing you know better than Tchadians what's good for them, and stealing their children "for their own good" and against their own will.

Pathetic!

[James]

Sarkozy is the best President France has had in a generation. He gets results. He gets things done. He makes deals.

Bravo!

[The 3rd Column]

Agree Rocket there ought to be accountability. But the couple has divorced. The question regarding the whereabouts or why they divorce was asked of Sarkozy after the divorce.

Again, what has his ex-wife's whereabouts or why they divorced got to do with Sarkozy's running the country.

The US journalist was trying to stir shit and she got it. Next time, she shouldn't piss around. Simple!

[Daniel Strohl]

Dominique,

"in "Zoé's Arch" before they just...sink!"

Since we are in nautical references, may be one could say the following : "It started as l'arche de Zoe, and it finished like "le radeau de la Méduse"

PS : for our non French speaking friends - le radeau de la Méduse (the raft of the Medusa) is a famous painting made by Géricault in 1819.
I am not at all an art expert, but some paintings stay nevertheless in memory.

[rocket]

James

"He makes deals."

You bet your bottom dollar he makes deals. We'd like to know what deals though. (very wide grin)

[rocket]

"Agree with the silly name "Arche de Zoé". We could even push it. The name was choosen according the "Arche de Noé" from the bible. This, i think, is very "symptomatique" of a postcolonial guilt complex we can see everywhere in France : more and more people believe that life is just impossible in Africa, as it is supposed to be poor, and that we (France, as former colonial power) are responsible for saving Africa. We should therefore "save" african children, and take them in "Zoé's Arch" before they just...sink!"

My god... are you guys just figuring it out about the name!

I thought you were smarter than the rest.

Let me give you one that may keep your minds busy for a week or so.

In the US we call Air France ...Air Chance. Can you figure out why?

[Dominique]

Rocket,

Do you know the malgache company "AIR MADAGASCAR" nickname in Madagascar?

answer : "Air peut-être...."

[Dominique]

Rocket,

Do you know the malgache company "AIR MADAGASCAR" nickname in Madagascar?

answer : "Air peut-être...."

[Dominique]

Rocket,

i don't read it in the name 'arche de zoé" only. I saw the M6 report and heard the "arche de zoé" members : the wanted to save Darfour by themselves bcause France (and the west) was doing nothing.

More, we heard since that had the foolish project to extract 10 000 children from the area...

Can you believe that? i think the name "Zoé's Arch" says it all

[rocket]

From LCI

"Dernière révélation en date, faite mardi de source judiciaire : entendu par la brigade de protection des mineurs le 10 août sur son projet de ramener en France des orphelins du Darfour, Eric Breteau avait expliqué être "en relation avec des ONG" et notamment évoqué l'Unicef et Children Rescue qu'il avait présentée comme une organisation américaine. Préparant son projet en France sous le nom d'Arche de Zoé, il oeuvrait en fait au Tchad sous celui de Children Rescue, entretenant la confusion vis-à-vis des autorités. Confusion d'autant plus facile à entretenir que diverses associations humanitaires anglo-saxonnes ont effectivement dans leurs titres ou leurs slogans cette expression de "Children Rescue", ou "Children's rescue". Sans pour autant intervenir sur le continent africain..."

Yes French ONG idiot let's draw the Americans into this one also for your own benefit.

[John Gregory Flinn]

DOMINIQUE - No, I apologize, I did'nt mean to imply that ALL such (african) adopted children were stolen. And I agree that Zoe's Arc should go to jail etc.
WHATSUPDOC? posted some of what I had heard/read about the ruses used by ZA in 'adoption' cases.

Although I hesitate to believe that ALL the other cases are above board.
The recent laws about familial DNA testing in immigration cases indicates this whole area - which must include adoption - has been open to underhand methods.

[qwerty]

I love reading all this French-vs-French sparring in English on an English blog discussing French politics!
About Sarkozy's rescue missions: these just seem to fall in his path: it's his karma to rescue hostages since the first time in Neuilly.

[Maggie G]

"About Sarkozy's rescue missions: these just seem to fall in his path: it's his karma to rescue hostages since the first time in Neuilly." (QWERTY)

Qwerty, did you hear Nicholas Cantaloupe on Europe 1 the other day (Monday I think)?

He had Sarkozy come in and announce that he had started a new organization, "Hostage Rapido" I think it was, guaranteed to get all hostages home within 24 hours.

There was a good one last week too, after he took his two sons with him to Morocco (in place of Cécilia). Julie was remarking on how his sons didn't ressemble him at all -- they were so TALL! So Sarkozy ordered a DNA test for them.

[Daniel Strohl]

Maggie G,

I am also a fan of Canteloup. He is really funny. He imitates very well, among many others, the boss of Europe I, J-P. Elkabach.

However, his two "complices", "Mame" Julie and Jacques Pradel, are laughing so much themselves that sometimes it is difficult to follow the stories. May be I am wrong, but they laugh even more when Elkabach is "la tête de Turc" ... i.e almost every morning.

[Maggie G]

Oh no, Daniel, I don't find at all that Julie's laughing makes it difficult to follow the story. Her laughing makes it ten times better! They had another girl doing it once or twice when Julie was away, and she was SO DULL in comparison!

[qwerty]

Re Maggie on Canteloup/Europe 1:
I tend to watch La Matinale on Canal Plus at that time... can't catch everything... however I see that Canteloup's program starts at 8:50, which is about when La Matinale finishes, so theoretically I could. But then when would I work?

[Maggie G]

QWERTY It lasts 4 or 5 minutes, that's all.

[Daniel Strohl]

Maggie,

"Her laughing makes it ten times better!"

Yes, of course. But this is because you have got "des oreilles de jeune fille" - that is what I say to my wife when I ask her to repeat to me something I did not get on TV or radio because of my hearing problem... This happens sometimes, especially by funny sketches, when everybody laughs.

As an example, I like very much Raymond Devos. He makes a fast succession of funny and subtle word plays - a real delight, but very difficult for me to follow entirely (not because of my brains, still in almost normal working order - LOL).