"Hostage Rescue Is Happy Coincidence for McCain in Colombia"...

UPDATE
The Colombian hostage rescue video
... says Elizabeth Bumiller of the NYT. The title of that article implies that McCain's visit had been planned to coincide with the hostage rescue.

Like any other conspiracy theory, that one is easily rebuked. Commenter Pat Patterson, at my Pajamas Media article, deftly and with a good measure of sarcasm points out the obvious:

That's right the Colombian government spent months arranging the infiltration of its agents, getting the intel on the location of the fifteen hostages and then sat around twiddling their thumbs until Sen. McCain showed up for a photo op. But since there are no pictures of Ingrid Bettancourt or the Americans holding flowers and shaking hands with the senator from Arizona then the whole plot seems like a terrible waste of energy. Maybe it was a conspiracy by FTD and not the CIA?

Moe Lane expands,

If you're wondering why a big counter-terrorism strike just happened to take place during Senator John McCain's visit to the region*, stop wondering: it was a no doubt deliberate decision on Colombia's part. Note that while they briefed the American delegation prior to the event, the actual operation took place while McCain was en route to Mexico. President Uribe wants good relations between Colombia and the USA, but he also wants to establish a certain separation. Bringing off a major counter-terrorism operation during, but independently of, a working visit by three US Senators should fit the bill.

Aside from the silly title, Bumiller's article makes a good point:

The timing of the rescue, which occurred while Mr. McCain was in Colombia, was in many ways a fortuitous turn of events for a presidential candidate who is using a three-day trip to South America and Mexico to try to show that he is a more agile foreign policy hand than his Democratic competitor, Senator Barack Obama. Although the timing of the rescue was a coincidence and Mr. McCain’s trip to Colombia had nothing to do with it, the event nonetheless put him in the middle of classified talks about covert operations with the head of another government.

What is no coincidence is that McCain's foreign policy experience outshines that of his rival. McCain's statement on the rescue highlights the importance of the operation while still reminding us of the hundreds of remaining hostages:

McCain, who was in Colombia Tuesday and Wednesday, said that President Alvaro Uribe and the Colombian defense minister had told him of the rescue plans.

"I'm pleased with the success of this very high-risk operation," McCain said in a release. "Sometimes in the past, the FARC has killed the hostages rather than let them be rescued. So I congratulate President Uribe, the military and the nation of Colombia. It is great news. Now we must renew our efforts to free all of the other innocent people held hostage. With regard to the three Americans and Ingrid Betancourt — they had been held many years, as many as six years."

Additionally, McCain supports the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat congress has been blocking.

The clear winners in this operation are Alvaro Uribe, all the hostages released, and the people of Colombia. The very big loser? Hugo Chavez. This hostage rescue has infinite repercussions in international politics.

Der Spiegel:

Indeed, it is Chavez who has been the big loser as a result of the positive developments in his neighboring country. With the fall of FARC, he has lost an important ally. His dream of a cross-border Bolivian revolution has failed, and at home he is fighting for his political survival.

There's a second loser in this drama: Nicolas Sarkozy. The French appeared to have been just as surprised as Chavez to hear about Betancourt's release on Wednesday. Paris had only just managed to establish fresh contact with the new FARC leader Alfonso Cano. Sarkozy had hoped that the French could score a coup by negotiating Betancourt's release and flying her directly to Paris. Colombian government officials had spoken reproachingly about what they often deemed to be politically motivated attempts at intervention on the part of the French.

Erik Svane notices that the French didn't take it gracefully: Frenchwoman: What Freed Ingrid Bétancourt Was Not President Uribe, But… "International Pressure" on President Uribe!, with "international pressure" meaning the French government, of course. They'd like to take credit for the release of one of their citizens, having failed at procuring the release itself.

The rescue itself was extraordinary: Counterterrorism blog calls it an Operation Right Out of Spy Thriller

This is a classic demonstration of how a country can use a mixture of law enforcement, intelligence, military, diplomatic and other mechanisms together, with a great deal of patience and tenacity, to achieve profound results against terrorism. It's an operation that needs to be studied, understood, to see what its lessons are for handling other hostage situations and other terrorist groups.

The political map has changed for South America. Let's hope the Dems in Congress get around to realizing that. For sure, the Dems claim that Pres. Bush has been ignoring Latin America flies in the face of this fact:

The US ambassador to Colombia, William Brownfield, said there had been "close co-operation" from the Americans, including the sharing of intelligence, equipment and training advice.

This Ain't Hell has Betancourt's first press conference


Venezuela News and Views reacts to the press conference

Betancourt has now been reunited with her family. Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes are back home, too.

Others blogging on the rescue:
Gateway Pundit

Prairie Pundit

The New Editor

Poliblog

In Spanish ElTiempo's report

Much more at Memeorandum

Special thanks to Larwyn and Siggy.



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Nicolas Sarkozy assassination scare: Mystery over suicide policeman

After meeting with Palestinian and Israeli leaders in his trip to Israel, a soldier shot himself dead during Sarkozy's airport departure ceremony on Tuesday.

UK Telegraph headline: Nicolas Sarkozy assassination scare: Mystery over suicide policeman

Here's a video report:


Another video, at the BBC.

Here's the Times on Line video clip

The policeman's family refutes claims that he killed himself

Police said that Mr Ghanan, 32, was from the northern Israeli town of Beit Dajan and was a member of the Druze community, a minority group whose religion includes an eclectic mix of beliefs rooted initially in Islam.

Naif Ghanan, Raed’s brother, said that police who informed the family of the death told them that the circumstances of the incident were still being investigated. "It is unthinkable that my brother took his own life. We believe this was an accident ' or even an incident in which my brother was accidentally shot by one of the security officials in the area," he said.

The family said that it had hired a lawyer to ensure there was a "complete and detailed" investigation and to gain access to security video footage from the airport.

I'll be following this story.



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The French love Obama

... and Erik Svane has the details:
The political Messiah of the early 21st century, a cross between John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

Erik explains why

Obama is so enormously popular everywhere else in the world, i.e., in the places where the flame of liberty has never taken root as deep as (despite all the leftists' attempts to root it out) in America (and where it never will)...

Go read it.



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A Note from the French Lunatic Asylum, and more in the afternoon roundup

A Note from the French Lunatic Asylum

Richard Landes has a translation of an article from the French weekly news magazine Le Nouvel Observateur up at Augean Stables. Because I am unfamiliar with the naval-gazing world of the French Elite (they invented the word!), at first I thought that "Nouvel Observateur" must be some kind of French Idiom for Lunatic Asylum. The thing is such a monument to un-self conscious self-deification and denial of reality that it reads most readily as either parody or the ravings of the insane. If you read it sentence by sentence and really listen to what they are implying, it really sounds as if it was written by a group of loonies- some who think they are Napoleons, Louis XIV, a few Richelieus and a Robespierre or two- sitting around in the day room of a French mental hospital. I searched some of the names of the signatories and to my surprise, most of them appear to be out on the streets and without psychiatric "paperwork". So, I guess, it turns out that we were meant to take it seriously.

Go read the whole post, and make sure to read Circling the Wagons around Charles: Le Nouvel Obs calls for Solidarity with their colleague under attack
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Getting by with a little help... from your friends:


Mary Katherine Ham has Obama on your shoulder
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New blog Versailles Beat has a great post on Dr Oscar Elias Biscet
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Don't Need a Weatherman to Know Which Way the Wind Blows
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Via Ace, the Amazon Wish list for the men and women recovering at the Walter Reed Medical Center.
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The menu at the World Hunger Meeting: Your UN Dollars Fighting Hunger!
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Egypt Uncovers 'Missing' Pyramid, unfortunately most of it was gone.

Speaking of archeology, Machu Picchu got looted by a German guy before Bingham got there. Too bad Klaus Kinsky is dead - Herzog could have made a great movie with Kinsky playing Berns the raider. Or will Indy get the prequel?



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Marvels of government-provided healthcare: Cardboard nurses

A couple of years ago I posted on the disastrous French healthcare system. Bad as it is, at least the French haven't resorted to the British healthcare's latest gimmick: CARDBOARD nurses.

Yessiree... cardboard nurses. Life-sized cardboard cutouts with voice boxes nagging telling people to clean their hands. The real problem is that bacteria-caused deaths are on the rise.

And how did that cardboard nurse program work out, you ask? Expat Yank has the details.

Maybe next time they'll come up with cardboard cutouts of Clive Owen or maybe Bear Grylls and see if people pay attention.



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Today at 11AM Eastern: Erik Svane's back in Cannes!

UPDATE
You can listen to the podcast here
In today's podcast, my friend Erik Svane of No Pasaran will be reporting live from the Cannes Film Festival.

Erik's the author of three books, La Bannière Étalée, and two General Leonardo graphic novels. Don't miss also Erik's essay on patriotism.

Erik is in his annual pilgrimage to the Cannes Film Festival and we'll be talking about that and about the French. If we decide to get on serious topics, we'll also talk about the al-Dura decision.

Chat's open at 10:45AM and the call-in number is 646 652-2639. Join us!



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France: Al Dura decision today in: Karsenty Wins Court Decision!!

UPDATE
Karsenty Wins Court Decision!!

More details to follow. But word from Paris is that the court dismissed charges against Philippe Karsenty today.

Others blogging on it:
Belmont Club
Phyllis Chesler, who interviewd Phillip Karsenty
Noah Pollak at Commentary
Israel Matzav
Breath of the Beast

Earlier today:
Dr Richard Landes is following the story, and has a post this morning: Muhammad al Durah Decision Today

Today the French court of appeals comes down with its decision. The outcome, whiich we will know in hours is, alas, unpredictable. Were the court’s decision based entirely on the evidence — as it should be — the decision would be clear. Philippe Karsenty had a dozen excellent reasons for accusing France2 and Charles Enderlin of presenting their viewing pulbic with staged footage, whether they knew it at the time or not. But past experience with the French courts suggests that decisions do not necessarily derive from the evidence alone. Hence the uncertainty.

For those who want to examine some of the msjor evidence upon which the court is, in principle, basing its decision, they can conslut here

Go to his blog and review the videos.

Also don't miss yesterday's podcast.

More on this later today.



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Today's podcast: the al-Dura verdict

UPDATE
You can listen to the podcast here
To donate to Second Draft, the mailing address isSecond Draft
P O Box 590591
Newton Center Mass 02459
French courts are due to render a verdict on the libel suit brought about by a media watchdog group against France2, a government-run news TV station. The case has to do with a news report where France2 reporter Charles Enderlin claimed that the child Mohammed al Dura had been shot dead by the Israeli Defense Forces.

The verdict on the al-Dura trial in France is due tomorrow.

This morning at 11AM, Dr Richard Landes and Yaacov Ben Moshe of Second Draft discuss what the possible verdicts will mean for the media, France, Israel and the Middle East.

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) has BACKGROUNDER: Mohammed Al Dura
Anatomy of a French Media Scandal. From their timeline:

2000
Sept. 30, 2000:
Palestinian gunmen and Israelis soldiers clash at the Netzarim junction in the Gaza Strip. A large contingent of foreign reporters, photographers and television crews are present, including France 2 cameraman Talal Abu Rahma. Much of the day’s events are filmed by the various (20 or so) television crews, but only Abu Rahma records what he claims to be Mohammed Al Dura’s death by Israeli bullets. (A Reuters clip apparently captures Jamal and Mohammed Al Dura filmed from a different angle.) He records 27 minutes of footage that day. While France 2 Middle East Bureau Chief Charles Enderlin is not at the scene at this time, he later views Abu Rahma’s clips and accepts the cameraman’s account of events.

Enderlin edits the film and provides the voice-over commentary for that evening’s news broadcast. Only a small portion (55 seconds) of Abu Rahma's footage is broadcast on the evening news. The footage shows Jamal Al Dura and his son Mohammed huddled behind a thick concrete barrel, gunshots hitting the wall behind them. The footage does not show the child dying.

Correspondent Charles Enderlin comments on the footage for France 2 :

3 pm... everything has turned over near the Netzarim settlement in the Gaza Strip...here Jamal and his son Mohammed are the targets of gunshots that have come from the Israeli position.... A new burst of gunfire, Mohammed is dead and his father seriously wounded.

France 2 distributes the footage – free of charge – to the global media, and it is broadcast around the world.

Oct. 1, 2000:
ABC's Gillian Findlay also says the boy died "under Israeli fire." She repeats this language a few days later. Other media outlets make clear that the father and son were caught in the crossfire between Israelis and Palestinians.

Oct. 3, 2000:
Palestinian Cameraman Testifies

Talal Abu Rahma volunteers to testify in a sworn statement to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights the details of what he saw at Netzarim on Sept. 30. He says:

I spent about 27 minutes photographing the incident which took place for 45 minutes.... I can confirm that the child was intentionally and in cold blood shot dead and his father injured by the Israeli army.

(For complete statement, click here.)

Preliminary IDF Investigation

There is no autopsy on the boy and no bullets recovered. After a hurried preliminary investigation, the IDF expresses sorrow over the tragedy, concluding that its troops were probably responsible for killing Al Dura. IDF Major General Giora Eiland says:

There is no way to prove who shot him. But from the angles from which we fired, it is likely that he was hit from our gunfire.... It is very reasonable that they were hit from our gunfire.

While the IDF attempts to put the incident to rest by accepting responsibility for Al Dura’s death, Major General Yom Tov Samia, commanding officer at the time, and other senior officers in the Southern Command are convinced that IDF soldiers have not shot the boy.

October 2000:
Nahum Shahaf, an Israeli physicist, contacts Major General Samia to voice his doubt about Israeli responsibility and offers to collaborate in an investigation of the matter. Samia agrees and the IDF investigates further.

Oct. 23, 2000:
An IDF re-enactment of the Al Dura incident, with the participation of Nahum Shahaf, raises serious doubt about whether the gunfire could have come from Israeli positions. Investigators lay out replicas of the Israeli army position, and the concrete barrel and wall which sheltered Al Dura. Soldiers fire shots at the barrel and wall using a variety of different weapons and study the indentations made by the bullets. Also studied is the dust clouds which result from the wall being struck by bullets from various angles. The shape and size of the clouds is compared to the shape and size of dust clouds in the video of Al Dura.

The re-enactment indicates that based on the location of the Israeli soldiers, the concrete barrel would have prevented Israeli bullets from hitting Jamal and Mohammed Al Dura. The bullet holes and dust clouds in the Al Dura video further indicate that the fatal shots could not have come from the Israeli position, but rather from an area more directly across from the father and son, near a Palestinian police position.

Oct. 25, 2000:
Telerama, a French magazine, publishes an interview with Charles Enderlin in which he explains the brevity of the news clip broadcast of the incident. He asserts:

I cut the images of the child's agony (death throes), they were unbearable. The story was told, the news delivered. It would not have added anything more...As for the moment when the child received the bullets, it was not even filmed.
Nov. 27, 2000:
IDF releases the findings of its comprehensive investigation into the Al Dura killing. It concludes that Al Dura was likely killed by Palestinian gunfire. States Israeli Major General Yom Tov Samia:

A comprehensive investigation conducted in the last weeks casts serious doubt that the boy was hit by Israeli fire. It is quite plausible that the boy was hit by Palestinian bullets in the course of the exchange of fire that took place in the area.

Dr. Landes produced the documentary Pallywood. You can download it from Second Draft, and here's the YouTube:


The podcast starts at 11AM Eastern, and the chat room's open by 10:45. The call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!





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Wednesday afternoon roundup

Sununu for Veep?

Via Maria, Obama’s biggest general election liability: His bitter half

On the stump, she warmed up (or rather, berated) supporters by complaining about how her husband is an underdog even after he keeps winning primary and caucus after primary and caucus. With a scowl etched on her face, she bellyached that "the bar is constantly changing for this man." Call the waambulance, stat.

Reminds me of Teresa's shifting bar.

Embedding with the enemy

But in fact my religious beliefs are entirely separate from my political beliefs: the only connection is that I'm willing to buck the trend in both arenas.

Two posts on Israel at 60:
Via the Astute Bloggers, Israel at 60: The Hope,
After 60 Years, The 'Lamp Unto The Nations' Flourishes

Two suspicious Seattle ferry riders were "just businessmen"

Vote for Mamacita.

Japan has no kids

From the Terror Finance Blog-A PDF of the Comprehensive Survey of U.S. Efforts Against Threat Financing-MUST READ

Franco had better things to do with his time.

"The threat of a new ice age must now stand alongside nuclear war as a likely source of wholesale death and misery for mankind"

Platypus genetic code unravelled, which reminds me of Ogden Nash

I like the duck-billed platypus
Because it is anomalous.
I like the way it raises its family
Partly birdly, partly mammaly.
I like its independent attitude.
Let no one call it a duck-billed platitude.

Cross-posted at PoliGazette


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The missing France2 rushes

Joe Noory has posted The Missing France 2 Rushes on YouTube.

Dr. Richard Landes and Nidra Poller have reported on the al Dura case.

For now, here are the rushes








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It smelled great when I was there

A friend emailed this one, about which she's as baffled as I:
Foul Smell Encircles London

Of course you know who the Brits will blame:

U.K. Media Blames France, but Meterologists Say French Not Responsible

It was so bad, (How bad was it?)

Even the Queen was bothered:

Not even the queen was spared, as newspapers reported that Windsor Castle also suffered from the effects of the putrid smell.

Sheesh! At least the national pride remain intact:

The foul smell was not English, Sarah Holland, a forecaster for the Met Office told the BBC. "The origins of the smell come from Europe," she said.

Here it goes:

British tabloid, The Daily Mail was quick to attack the French for "le stink," reporting that "freak weather" had caused the "French stench" to come to England.

Pepe le Pew?

Alors, non!

according to Helen Chivers, a forecaster at the Met Office, the smell actually came across "from Northern Europe."

Is something rotten in the state of Denmark?

In other French news, Illegal workers
French government wants them out, firms and unions do not.
And the Chinese are po'd at France's suppoort of Tibetan independence.



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Today's Sarko news watch: a wedding, a photo, a trip

It didn't take long, but Cecilia remarries after Nicolas Sarkozy divorce. She married the guy she was with in 2005:

Mr Attias, 48, was the Moroccan-born Jewish lover Miss Ciganer-Albeniz, 50, left her ex-husband for in 2005, only to return to Mr Sarkozy's side in the run-up to the French presidential elections last year.

I probably ran into her at the time. One day I was in New York walking down Fifth Avenue by one of the hotels. There were a couple of guys with cameras across the street, and on the same sidewalk. Suddenly they all picked up their cameras and started taking pictures of a woman wearing jeans and a white shirt who had just come out of the hotel with a man by her side. The following Thursday, I saw the photograph of the woman on the cover of the latest Parish Match. But I digress.

Cecilia's wedding was held at the Rainbow Room on the Rockerfeller Centre's 65th floor and featured singers from the Harlem Gospel Choir, and was preceeded by a three-day celebration involving dinners and a trip to see the Broadway musical Mamma Mia. Somebody must like Abba, but the musical has a wedding theme.

Christies is auctioning nude photos of Sarko's current wife, Carla Bruni. I'm not sure why these photos come as any surprise to anyone.

In more serious news, Sarko raises prospect of snubbing [the Olympic] opening ceremony over crackdown in Tibet; additionally,

An official from France's state television company said the broadcaster would likely boycott the Games if coverage was censored.

Today Sarko ls for 'Franco-British brotherhood' as state visit begins

In an interview, Mr Sarkozy said that it was time to reinvent the cross-Channel relationship from the strategic co-operation enshrined in the entente cordiale to become one of genuine closeness and "hand-in-glove" warmth.
...

Launching a charm offensive designed to realign French foreign policy, Mr Sarkozy told the BBC via a translator: "Whoever the British leader may be he will need others, other Europeans.

"And how can we do without your strong economy, your language which is the most spoken language throughout the world — do without your defence, which is the most significant in Europe? I want a new Franco-British brotherhood."

Times on Line has a feature on the trip, Sarkozy state visit: follow it live here

Sarko renewed France's commitment to NATO in Afghanistan,

He emphasised France's commitment to the Nato-led alliance in Afghanistan, saying that his country had no intention of pulling out troops and may even be prepared to send in more.


"In Afghanistan what's at stake, it's part of our battle against world terrorism," he said. "Do we need a new strategy in Afghanistan? Perhaps. Placing more trust in the Afghans themselves? The answer is yes.

"Is the only response in Afghanistan a military one? Obviously not. Does France intend to pull out? Obviously not.

"We have to see how long we are prepared to stay...If all the terms and conditions are met, why not send in more troops?"

The Sarkos will be in the UK for thirty-six hours.

Unrelated, but of interest, Maria sent A Guide to the French.



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Sarko points to Iran as security risk; pledges to reduce French nuclear warheads

France's Sarkozy Reaffirms Nuclear Deterrence, Warns Iran

President Nicolas Sarkozy affirmed France's commitment to a strategy of nuclear deterrence, saying that countries in the Middle East and Asia are developing missiles that pose a threat to Europe.

"Everyone must be aware today that powerful nuclear missiles can reach Europe in less than half an hour," Sarkozy said in the Channel port of Cherbourg on a visit to France's latest and fourth nuclear-powered submarine, Le Terrible.

"I am thinking in particular of Iran," Sarkozy said in a speech to military personnel. "Iran is increasing the range of its missiles, while serious suspicions surround its nuclear program. It is Europe's security that is the issue."

Possibly to counter the Iranian threat, Sarkozy has been paying a lot of attention to the Middle East and Arab countries:

He's currently pushing his "Club Med" idea, i.e., the Union for the Mediterranean. So far it's not flying,

Analysts blame the disappointing results of the process so far partly on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also on Mediterranean governments' poor record in using the EU funds on offer.

But his nuclear power deals with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco are going ahead. As I said last January upon reading the question, "Why should Arab countries be deprived of the energy of the future?"

Why indeed, when they have the mullahs breathing down their necks? Especially if companies that develop and build the nuclear power plants are owned primarily by the French government?

Sarko has already made himself clear when it comes to the Iranian bomb: "No nuclear weapon for Iran, an arsenal of sanctions to convince them, negotiations, discussions, firmness."

Today, however, Sarkozy has pledged to reduce France's number of airborne nuclear weapons by one third:

Mr Sarkozy said the reduction to fewer than 300 missiles would leave France with "half the maximum number of warheads we had during the Cold War".

But he also insisted he was committed to France's nuclear deterrent, saying it was its "life-insurance policy".

He made the comments in a major defence policy speech after inaugurating a new nuclear-armed submarine, the Terrible.

Let's hope the Terrible works better than its name implies, but let's ask one question: Is it a good idea to reduce the nuclear arsenal while trying to prevent the Iranians from starting one?

UDPATE:
Via commenter Pat Patterson,

I forgot to point out that the missiles that Pres. Sarkozy is deactivating are all older models with single warheads. All the rest and the newer models are MIRV with 6 nuclear devices each, 1800 in all. I feel the aura of peace already.

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In other Sarko news, he's dropped the text-message lawsuit; the bling-bling's not going over well.



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Echoes of the Halimi murder, Obama-Rezko, and other items

I had planned on going to New York this morning but something unexpected came up.

After that was over, I've been reading the blogs:

Almost exactly two years after the Halimi murder, Tortured Jewish Teen Leaves Paris Suburb.

OBAMA-REZKO AND MEDIA IGNORANCE OF "THE CHICAGO WAY"

The lack of curiosity by the press about Obama’s connections to one of the most corrupt city governments in the United States should be one of the big media stories of this campaign. While it is true that Obama's connections to the Machine are not as extensive as many other politicians, I've got news for you Obama apologists; try running for any office in Chicago – local, state, or federal – and see how far you get without support from the regular Democrats.

More Barack Obama Rezko Revelations and Obama's Iraqi Oil for Food connection

So, Um ... Obama Wrote This, Huh?

No Clinton-Obama ticket this year. Someone get the stunt double on the set

Brattleboro, Vermont: where it can ALL happen!

Belmont Club looks at politicians who say "I lied".

The Greeks object to Macedonia because of its name. Really.

U.S. Tongue-Ties Self In Talking To World

Tracking Iraq-- What the Media Did Not Tell You This Month

NJ Corrupt Politicos Update

Claim: Muqtada al Sadr Suffers Ten Game Batting Slump and Coma, But Mostly Coma. Iraqi and Russian doctors are taking care of him.



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Sarko ties the knot, version 2.0?

UPDATE
Yes, this time they really did get married
Sarkozy marries Bruni at the Elysee: report

French President Nicolas Sarkozy married supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, French radio reported quoting several witnesses.

Two radio stations said the pair tied the knot at a low-key ceremony conducted by the mayor of the Paris district that houses the grandiose Elysee estate.

"The bride was wearing white and was ravishing," mayor Francois Lebel told Europe 1 radio. "The bridegroom wasn't bad either," he added, without naming the couple.

Not that we haven't been faked out before...

I'll believe it when I see the marriage certificate.

No, this doesn't count as celebrity blogging because Sarko is a head of state and I've been posting about him for several years.


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The curious case of Societe Generale's Jerome Kerviel

I've been reading about Jerome Kerviel since the story of his $7,000,000,000 loss first hit the news.

All along I keep asking myself, is he the fall guy?

How can a trader (not a manager, partner or senior partner) who was in profit by nearly $2 billion at the start of 2008 lose that kind of money that fast without anyone noticing, especially when SG was looking into his transactions since last April?

This morning's WSJ's front page story:
In a French Twist, Infamous Trader Gets Hero Treatment
Bank Finds It Hard to Say Au Revoir to Mr. Kerviel; 'Che Guevara of Finance'

Considering how Che Guevara bankrupt the Cuban bankins system, at least the analogy holds.

Because of the ridiculousness of French employment laws, SG can't fire him right now

Société Générale has stopped paying Mr. Kerviel and told him not to come to the office, but it hasn't managed to formally fire him. French law stipulates that to do that, the bank must first call him in for a sit-down meeting and explain its dissatisfaction. He has the right to bring along a trade-union official, a lawyer or anyone else he'd like.

That will be complicated: A pair of Paris judges this week released Mr. Kerviel from custody but forbade him to have contact with the bank. "This is a very peculiar case," says Emmanuel Dockès, a law professor at l'Université Lyon 2, Mr. Kerviel's alma mater in central France.

The article points out that apparently Kerviel didn't profit personally from all those high-risk transactions over the past two years.

My guts tell me that even if Kerviel didn't profit, somebody at SG did.

Indeed, a curious case.

UPDATE
Via Tristan, France in Need of an SEC?



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The 5 stages of voting, in the afternoon roundup

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance... in the Republican primary
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The Anchoress is asking, What's Wrong With the World? and she wants you to answer in 100 words or less.

It's a sign of my present state of mind that I can't even start to tell you, but it has a lot to do with politics.

I'm looking into taking tango lessons: Tango is difficult enough it should take all my concentration to do well in it, and the physical activity should keep my mind off politics when I'm not blogging about... politics.

I must be going through some developmental stage, or maybe one of the above primary stages.
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A friend and I were discussing this article, The Failure of Normality: The unhappy lessons of the Thompson campaign

Thompson didn't give off the usual political vibe: the gnawing need to please, the craving for the public's love. A few voters and journalists found this refreshing, many more found it insulting. Some just found it fascinating, in a clinical sort of way: What kind of politician isn't consumed by politics--and what kind of campaign would such a politician run? Well, now we know. If Thompson could plausibly avoid an overnight campaign trip, he did, preferring to return home to his wife and children in suburban Virginia. He spent an inordinate amount of time with his briefing books.

When I remarked to my friend that Fred's exactly the kind of guy I like, he replied that I obviously like guys that are too sane to be politicians, a point Andrew Ferguson makes in his article,

The man or woman who seeks out such a life and enjoys its discomforts is not normal. Not crazy necessarily, but not normal, and probably, when the chips are down, not to be trusted, especially when the purpose of it all is to acquire power over other people (also called, in the delicate language of contemporary politics, "public service" or "getting things done on behalf of the American people"). The case is made, in defense of the contemporary campaign, that this is an efficient if unlovely way to choose leaders: It winnows out those who lack the stamina and discipline necessary to lead a rich, large, powerful, and complicated country. By this argument, Thompson failed because he deserved to.

But the opposite case is easier to make--that the modern campaign excludes anyone who lacks the narcissism, cold-bloodedness, and unreflective nature that the process requires and rewards.

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Gerard has Obama: A Progressive for Progress! Now with Liberal Substance!

But artists like Fairey, and they are legion in our society, are really just -- like their fans -- playing at feeling oppressed. They actually have no experience with a real oppressive society. If they had their lives and work would not be nearly so glib.

An alternate point of view is on display daily at a site called "The People's Cube." This site is run by a talented artist who grew up under real oppression in the Soviet Union and managed to get out and start a new life here; a life who's liberty he values. He's not a "pretend" propaganda artist, but a man with experience in the real thing. His name is Oleg Atbashian.

Over at the People's Cube I found this: Roger Waters Brings 'The Wall' To Muslim Countries

Roger Waters takes 'The Wall' Concerts to 57 Islamic Countries to Protest against Sharia Law and Execution of Homosexuals by having Walls Fall on Them

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Babalu has a Cuban black bean soup/chili for Super Bowl Sunday.
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Doug Ross asks, "Would you be apprehensive about driving across The Millau Viaduct?". while Matt Sanchez posts on the Bible banging French.
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Bill: "We Just Have to Slow Down Our Economy" to Fight Global Warming

Why don't you start flying commercial, Bill?

Richard asks This is global warming?
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Tango time:




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"Don't treat the old and unhealthy", and the Sunday items

The government giveth, the government taketh away:
Don't treat the old and unhealthy, say doctors

Doctors are calling for NHS treatment to be withheld from patients who are too old or who lead unhealthy lives.
...
Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone.

Fertility treatment and "social" abortions are also on the list of procedures that many doctors say should not be funded by the state.

I wonder what the American abortion-on-demand crowd would say to that.

But don't expect the British hospital doctors to want to look after you when you are old and ailing:

One in three said that elderly patients should not be given free treatment if it were unlikely to do them good for long. Half thought that smokers should be denied a heart bypass, while a quarter believed that the obese should be denied hip replacements.

Richard Fernandez posts about the survey and comments,

Those unwilling to trust that there is meaning to universe can still hope there will be beds available at the NHS or compassion in the heart of a bureaucrat.

Small wonder that 70,000 patients have had to go overseas for major surgery to avoid long waiting lists and the rising threat of superbugs.

The poor, and those who are too sick to travel, have no choice at all.

GM Roper had a few questions,

Do we tell the poor who tend to have more physical illnesses than more wealthy folk "Sorry, your poor choices of food, tobacco, alcohol, fill in the blank have made treatment for you impossible?"

Do we tell the elderly that "Sorry, your age makes you a poor candidate for open heart surgery?"

Do we empty the nursing homes because some of those patients won't ever get better?

Do we pull a Terri Schiavo on our handicapped because afterall, most handicapps are life long?

The fact of the matter is, that eventually choices must be made because as one commenter at Tom Smith's article noted it is either on the front end with insurance or on the back end with national health care. And, despite the Democrat pie in the sky dreaming, we cannot possibly provide all health care to all people in the country at any reasonable cost.

Cuban health care is an apartheid system where even Castro had to get a foreign specialist for his surgery. Even the Washington Post is documenting the failure of the Cuban health care system.

Another thing that those who praise the "free Cuban health care system" don't want you to know is that the medics regularly have to come to your house and go through your personal effects searching for evidence of your personal habits, such as the drugs you take, whether you smoke, and what you drink. How many Americans would be willing to even contemplate the thought of having a government employee violate their privacy for the sake of "free" health care?

But what about France, you ask? On March 18, 2006 I posted a list of links from the BBC on how the French health care system fails its patients. (you might have to go to the March 2006 archive and scroll down).

Health care is not free: as The Anchoress said,

There is no such thing as "free" healthcare. You pay for it, yes, with taxes, but also with incremental decreases in personal liberty.

Who is responsible for triage?

This week's WSJ's Five Best books, on the challenges of living with illnesses, selected by Laura Landro:




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The film about the very ill Edith Piaf has received 11 nominations at France's Cesar film awards.

I hope the beautiful Marion Cotillard wins the Best Actress award at the Oscars, the Cesars, and the Baftas. She was sensational.

I reviewed the movie last July. Here's the trailer


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Instead of shoes today, handbags:
Why 'It' Bags Are Out
Luxury bags fall victim to their own success; exclusive over ostentatious

Instead of one hot, recognizable style, retailers this spring will be pushing a variety of styles and brands, many of them lesser-known. Intermix, a high-end New York-based retail chain, is making a big push for handbags from labels such as Zagliani and Lanvin. Scoop is stressing Jamin Puech, Whiting & Davis and other relatively unknown, expensive brands. For spring, Henri Bendel is picking up LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton's brand Loewe, which is popular in Asia but hasn't been widely sold in the U.S.

I own Coach stock, so here is a suggestion,

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Send Little Miss Attila to CPAC! Here's how
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The Carnival of the Insanities is up!



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Sarko pushes for French naval base in Abu Dhabi, sells nuclear power

Sarko's been trying hard to re-establish France as a power in the Middle East, and has plans for a French naval base in Abu Dhabi.

First, there are the nuclear deals with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco:
Sarkozy Pushes Nuclear Energy in Mideast

Currently the world's most aggressive salesman for nuclear power, Sarkozy has visited multiple Muslim states in the last six weeks -- including the globe's biggest oil producers -- to peddle French nuclear technology or make multibillion-dollar deals.

"Why should Arab countries be deprived of the energy of the future?"

Why indeed, when they have the mullahs breathing down their necks? Especially if companies that develop and build the nuclear power plants are owned primarily by the French government?

Sarko's nuclear proliferation plans don't stop with a vision of a Mediterranean cooperation council (whatever that may mean),

Argentina, Chile, Vietnam and Indonesia also are reportedly discussing the possibility of buying French-designed reactors.

May I indulge in a little speculation? Let's say that Hugo persuades the FARC to release French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt. Woudln't Venezuela be included in this group?

But I digress.

As part of Sarko's Middle East vision, he's signed a deal with Abu Dhabi for a permanent French naval base:

This projects France into the complex politics of the Gulf, identifying it even more closely with Gulf Arab countries which have expressed concern about the future policies of Iran.

President Sarkozy appears willing to accept that this exposes France to the risks involved in such a sensitive area, highlighted by the confrontation between Iranian speedboats and US naval ships recently. There is also a dispute between Abu Dhabi and Iran over three small islands in the Strait of Hormuz. The president said the base was agreed at the request of the Emirates.

That's in addition to the two nuclear power reactors that the French will build in Abu Dhabi.

Nuclear proliferation, and military expansion, a la francaise.

Never mind a mild whiff of realpolitik

The French base agreement coincides with a major visit to the region by President Bush, during which he has criticised Iran.

France might be seen as aligning itself more openly with the US, which maintains its own large base in Bahrain for the Fifth Fleet and which has also been selling arms to Gulf countries.

Speculation welcome in the comments section.


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Did Sarko marry Carla?

A (French) friend sent me this: L'Est Republicain newspaper says Nicolas Sarkozy et Carla Bruni se seraient mariés jeudi à l'Elysée Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni married in secred Thursday at the Elysee (the president's residence)

This is his third marriage and her first.

The story in English at AFP will save you the translation: French newspaper says Sarkozy may have married Bruni

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is believed to have married former Italian supermodel Carla Bruni at a small private ceremony held at the Elysee palace last week, a French newspaper reported Monday.

In a report posted on its website, L'Est Republicain newspaper quoted an unnamed "source close to a witness who attended the ceremony" as saying that it was a "small, very private" affair held at the presidential palace on Thursday.

Presidential spokesman David Martinon declined to comment on the report.

Sarkozy, 52, told a news conference last week that his relationship with 40-year-old Bruni was "serious" and suggested he planned to marry the former supermodel and pop singer.

"There is a strong chance that you will learn about it once it's already been done," the president said.

The Journal du Dimanche reported earlier that the couple would marry around February 9.

Rumours about an imminent marriage have been flying since last week and a Paris city hall office in the chic 16th district was besieged by journalists on Thursday who had received a tip-off that the couple were getting married there.

L'Est Republicain journalist Laid Sammari, who wrote the article, told AFP the newspaper had "good reason" to decide to run the story, but added that he was being cautious "because I did not personally attend the ceremony."

Sarkozy on Monday visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar as part of a tour of Gulf countries and was to head to Dubai on Tuesday.

An AFP journalist traveling with the president said he was not wearing a wedding ring on Monday.

In October, Sarkozy became the first French president to divorce while in office when he ended his stormy 11-year marriage to Cecilia Ciganer-Albaniz, with whom he has a 10-year-old son, Louis.

He also has two sons, Pierre, 22, and Jean, 21, from a previous marriage to Marie-Dominique Culioli.

Born into a wealthy Turin tyre-manufacturing family, Bruni has a six-year-old son with the philosopher Raphael Enthoven, but she has never married.

Bruni's previous affairs with such rock stars as Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton have made tabloid headlines and she was quoted in a French magazine last year as saying "Monogamy bores me terribly".

After visiting Egypt and Jordan with Sarkozy last month, she may accompany Sarkozy on a state visit to India later this month.

The latest rumours about the marriage drew criticism from opposition Socialists that Sarkozy was putting too much of his private life on public display.

Sarkozy's rival in the presidential election, Segolene Royal, charged that the president "has decided to turn events in his private life into public events, like Louis XIV."

"It's a bit like the monarchy, where an event in the king's private life become a political event," Royal told French radio.

Sarkozy's second wife Cecilia lost a bid in court last week to block the release of a book in which she is quoted as described the president as a womaniser and uncaring father.

The book "Cecilia" by journalist Anna Bitton has become a best-seller in French bookstores.

With Sarko's two prior divorces and his reputation as a ladie's man, and her prior history of being "the other woman" who came between Jerri and Mick, and Donald and Marla, this is going to be tabloid heaven a la francaise.


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