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| Europe |
| France pledges solidarity over Lebanon violence |
| 2007-05-22 |
| French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner spoke with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Sunday to assure him of France's solidarity following an outburst of violence in north Lebanon, his office said. Kouchner, who took office on Friday in the government of President Nicolas Sarkozy, "expressed France's solidarity and trust in the Lebanese authorities to restore order and calm," the foreign ministry said in a statement. In the telephone call, Kouchner stressed the importance Paris gave to "the independence, sovereignty and stability of Lebanon" and the need to "investigate the situation, especially in Tripoli." The two men also discussed plans for a meeting "in the near future." And for the "Things That Make You Go Hmmm" files: Sarkozy's predecessor Jacques Chirac was a close friend of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, who was assassinated in February 2005. The former president and his wife moved into a Paris apartment belonging to the Hariri family after he left the Elysee last Wednesday. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #6 Do you think the French had some ideas about Lebanon that the Syrians got a whiff off (as one would do) and popped Hariri as a shot across the bow of the good ship Chirac? Nah. What happened was that Hariri had some ideas about the Syrians in Lebanon that the Syrians didn't like. So, as a shot across the bow of any one else who got the idea that Lebanon without Syria would be a good thing, they had him wacked. However, Hariri had a lot of good friends and business contacts in high places, like Chirac and the Saudi royal family. So it backfired on them. |
| Posted by: Steve 2007-05-22 17:21 |
| #5 Okay, I'll take the bait and be first: Do you think the French had some ideas about Lebanon that the Syrians got a whiff off (as one would do) and popped Hariri as a shot across the bow of the good ship Chirac? Nah, too obvious. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-05-22 10:44 |
| #4 and damn....did I say wow? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-05-22 10:20 |
| #3 An emergency accordion shipment is on the way. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-05-22 09:14 |
| #2 The former president and his wife moved into a Paris apartment belonging to the Hariri family after he left the Elysee last Wednesday. Do you know how hard it is to get a walk-up in the 7th arrondissement of Paris? |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-05-22 02:29 |
| #1 Jeeez. Mmmmmmm Meeeee Mmmmmmm Ummmmmmmmmmmmm Meeeeeeee Meee Meee Meee |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-05-22 02:13 |