French jets target ISIS tunnels in northeaster Iraq

(November 3)The French Defense Ministry issued a statement last Friday verifying reports that they had carried out a series of airstrikes with Rafale jets in northeastern Iraq that were believed to have been on ISIS tunnels in the area.

French planes based in Jordan and the UAE

There is an international coalition in what is called Operation Inherent Resolve. The French operations are part of that mission that is mounted against ISIS. The French attacks were said to have been carried out with coordination from other coalition members including Reaper drones that were provided by an unnamed member of the coalition. The US is a leading member of the group.

Although several strikes were carried out there are no reports on whether there were any casualties or damage. The French said that it was ascertained that there were no civilians in the area before the raid. According to French Defense Ministry the French have carried out 29 sorties just this week.

Operation Chammal

A recent article describing the events notes that the French attacks were under the aegis of the Enduring Freedom Operation Inherent Resolve: "The strikes were conducted on Thursday, October 31 as part of Operation Chammal, France’s contribution to Operation Inherent Resolve, the multinational Coalition military effort against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The operation was conducted jointly and coordinated with other elements of the international Coalition. The aim was to destroy several tunnels used by Daesh as a rear base for its actions, and to degrade its logistical and military capabilities in this region..This strike was prepared with our allies as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. It was preceded by reconnaissance by an Atlantic 2 maritime patrol aircraft, and was supported by a Reaper UAV from the Coalition.” "Daesh" is another term for ISIS or ISIL or the Islamic State.

In a recent US operation, the leader of ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed but the anti-ISIS coalition is anxious to make it clear that his death does not mean that the war against ISIS is over. In fact there could be revenge attacks by the group after his death.

Operation Inherent Resolve

Wikipedia describes Operation Inherent resolve and the associated task force: "Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR) is the Joint Task Force established by the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), set up by the US Central Command to coordinate military efforts against ISIL (Da'esh), and is composed of US military forces and personnel from over 30 countries.[1][15] The stated aim of CJTF–OIR is to "degrade and destroy" ISIL.[16] Its establishment by US Central Command was announced in December 2014, after it was set up to replace the ad hoc arrangements that had previously been established to coordinate operations following the rapid gains made by ISIL in Iraq in June.[17] Formed in October 2014,[3] its first "coalition integration conference" was held the first week of December 2014.[1]...While ground forces were also deployed in various roles (special forces raids, trainers, advisers, artillery, spotters), the bulk of CJTF-OIR's combat operations took the form of an air war against the Islamic State. The countries that directly participated in this part of the campaign were the United States (accounting for 75-80% of airstrikes on its own), Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.[19] By the end of 2017, CJTF-OIR stated that over 80,000 ISIL fighters had been killed by their airstrikes.[20] "

Previously published in the Digital Journal

France to defend French satellites

Just ahead of recent Bastille Day celebrations, Emmanuel Macron the French president announced the creation of a space command that would be part of the French Air Force according to a Reuters' report.

Space Command would defend French satellites

Macron made the remarks to military personnel. He said the space command would have the task of defending French satellites and that the command would be officially created this September. The French Air Force he announced would be eventually renamed the Space and Air Force.

The new Space Command it appears will replace France's existing Joint Space Command that is now responsible for its space assets as well as coordinating with the military forces of other European nations.

France focusing more on space

France has the third-oldest space agency but only in recent years has it begun to focus more on space. The country plans to spend 3.6 billion euros between now and 2025 on space. In December 2018 France launched a new military reconnaissance satellite the CSO-1 and will launch more in the coming years.

Space as a domain of warfare

Over recent years space has become more militarized: "The militarisation of space involves the placement and development of weaponry and military technology in outer space. The early exploration of space in the mid-20th century had, in part, a military motivation, as the United States and the Soviet Union used it as an opportunity to demonstrate ballistic-missile technology and other technologies having the potential for military application. Outer space has since been used as an operating location for military spacecraft such as imaging and communications satellites, and some ballistic missiles pass through outer space during their flight. As of 2019, known deployments of weapons stationed in space include only the Almaz space-station armament and pistols such as the TP-82 Cosmonaut survival pistol (for post-landing, pre-recovery use)."

A number of countries have recognized space as a distinct domain of warfare added to land, sea, and air, or even within digital systems. The new French initiative appears designed to answer the problems that space-borne military infra-structure will potentially bring.

France's space command may be patterned on that of the US

In 1985 the US set up its United States Space Command as part of the US military. Its role was to oversee and coordinate US orbital assets such as satellites. However, after the 9/11 attacks it was merged into the US Strategic Command. Last year, President Trump ordered the Department of Defense to create a new Space Command that would be part of a new branch of the US military the Space Force.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

France to impose an ecotax on nearly all air travel in 2020

France plans to charge an "ecotax" on almost all air travel starting next year. The new tax is expected to bring in approximately $200 million a year. The funds could be used for less polluting means of transportation such as trains.

Transport minister's statement

Elisabeth Born, the French transport minister said on Twitter that the tax was in response to a sense of crisis in the environment: “With the eco-contribution, air transport will play its part in financing the daily transport of all our citizens. It is a response to the ecological urgency and sense of injustice expressed by the French.”

There are some exceptions to the tax

The tax will not apply to connecting flights or flights that just land in France except for those that originate in France. Any trips to the island of Corsica and French territories overseas are also exempt from the tax.

Cost of tax varies with distance traveled and type of ticket

The price of a domestic flight could rise by as litte as 1.5 euros or about $1.70. However the tax for a business-class ticket bound out of the EU would cost 18 euros or about $20 more.

Airlines react angrily

Air France said that it strongly disapproves of the tax. Air France said that the new fee would cost its combined airlines more than $67 million annually. The airline said: “This new tax would significantly penalize Air France’s competitiveness, at a time where the company needs to strengthen its investment capacity to more rapidly reduce its environmental footprint, notably as part of its fleet renewal policy."

At a press conference in Brussels Ryanair head Michael O'Leary claimed that the airline industry was doing well towards meeting its responsibilities to the environment: “We are sensitive to the criticism that we are getting a free ride on the environment because frankly it is not true. We have a very good case to push back against these NGOs like the flight shame movement because actually this is an industry that is performing remarkably well and meeting its obligations towards a greener, cleaner planet."

O'Leary spoke as chair of the lobby group A4E (Airlines for Europe), that includes that EU's largest airlines. The group claims that aviation has roughly halved the carbon footprint per flight over the past three decades and is spending billion of euros on more fuel efficient aircraft and is investing in less damaging aviation fuel technologies.

Other countries have also taxed air travel

Germany has a green tax that according to Deutsche Welle adds between 8 and 45 euros or $9 to $50 dollars to ticket prices. Sweden also announced a similar flight tax in the spring of last year. In Europe there is a "flygskam" movement which loosely translated means "flight shame" that has attracted a great deal of attention.

US not as likely to introduce an airline ecotax

A flight tax in the US might not be politically possible. Europe has an extensive rail passenger system that provides travelers with options other than driving or flying that are more efficient but the US has fewer options in many places.

Seth Kaplan an airline expert told the Washington Post: “One thing that’s different in Europe is that rail is a viable alternative today; for a lot of people, that’s not the case in the US. A reason why you’re unlikely to see US airlines doing this in any kind of big way is that in the US, what’s the alternative?”

What is an ecotax?

Wikipedia explains: "An Ecotax (short for ecological taxation) is a tax levied on activities which are considered to be harmful to the environment and is intended to promote environmentally friendly activities via economic incentives. Such a policy can complement or avert the need for regulatory (command and control) approaches. Often, an ecotax policy proposal may attempt to maintain overall tax revenue by proportionately reducing other taxes (e.g. taxes on human labor and renewable resources); such proposals are known as a green tax shift towards ecological taxation. Ecotaxes address the failure of free markets to consider environmental impacts.[1]"

While such taxes help solve environmental problems they can be regressive that is their impact can be greater on those who are poorer and less on the rich. In the case of ecotaxes on air travel some argue that air travel is mostly of the rich. Most poor people cannot travel.

This ignores the fact that air travel has become more within the reach of the lesser well off. Often immigrants and others who come from foreign countries will save to fly back and visit relatives. Other people who are not that well off save their funds to fly to vacation areas. Airlines encourage people to fly by frequent flyer plans. All this is negative to the flying shame climate protectors. Yet they are doing nothing to prevent those most well off from flying. They just have to pay more which they can afford. Those who are only marginally able to afford flights are deprived of what they had just newly come to enjoy and which improved their quality of life.

Further remarks

The situation is complicated by the difficulties of measuring the effects on the environment of different modes of travel and the complicated situations that people face. If a person wants to travel a long distance often over oceans, there is no practical alternative to air travel very often. Why should people who fly long distances be subject to larger ecotaxes when there is no option?

Driving is often an option to air travel in many cases but it may not always be better for the environment than taking a plane. A person driving a large vehicle alone to a destination may be contributing more pollution than if the same person had taken a plane. On the other hand if that same person also transported several friends and in a hybrid car the trip would have contributed less pollution per person.

It should be noted that aviation back in 2015 contributed only eight percent of the pollution due to transportation in the US. Most of the pollution comes from light vehicles 59 percent and medium and heavy trucks 22 percent. The switch to EV's would save the environment much more than cutting down on use of airplanes. I noticed that in discussion of the aviation issue, the emissions caused by the military do not merit a mention but presumably they contribute high amounts of pollution.

While driving is usually an option to taking a plane it may not always be better for the environment, as descirbed in an article by Yale Climate Connections: "One of the few researchers trying to make a straight, consistent comparison across the U.S transportation sector is Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. In working papers released over the past two years, Sivak has attempted to overturn the conventional wisdom: His main recent finding is that the average energy intensity of driving is about twice that of flying, a conclusion based on the current average on-road fuel economy of cars, pick-up trucks, SUVs, and vans (21.6 mpg)."

Comparing different effects on the environment from different modes of travel is complicated, making it quite easy for those with interests in proving aviation is a huge culprit to use selective research to prove their position. An article written some time ago sums up the problem: "In 2009, Mikhail V Chester and Arpad Horvath of the University of California, Berkeley, published an influential analysis arguing that any assessment of passenger transportation impact needs to also include infrastructure and life cycle emissions — from maintenance of roads and airports to the manufacture of planes, trains and automobiles, along with other machines and physical structures that support particular transport modes."

The options for travelers remain difficult, and the entire picture of emissions from transportation has yet to be properly indicated.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Decomposed corpse found at rental property near Paris

A group of friends, most in their twenties, rented a house in the town of Palaiseau, just 17 kilometers or 10 miles south of Paris for a weekend party, using the popular on-line house-sharing service Airbnb.

The group discovered the body of a woman in the garden on Saturday in an area that opens into the woods. A source said the woman’s body was found “hunched in a dug-out area, her head against the ground, covered in branches and surrounded by wood stumps.” The woman, who was white and in her early forties, was dressed, but was not wearing shoes. She had a "ring with a large stone" on her finger. Police found no identifying documents on the body. The body was in a state of advanced decomposition. An autopsy will be carried out. Police expect foul play was involved in the woman's death.

Airbnb is a popular home-sharing website. French authorities in the area called Evry are investigating the death of the woman. Bertrand Daillie, the deputy prosecutor for Evry, said the body had been covered by tree branches and placed there deliberately. While the renters were questioned on Sunday but their only connection to the event had been renting the house for the weekend and the discovery of the corpse.

Daillie said the house was owned by a family of seven who have gone for a vacation in another region for a few days. They are expected to return this Wednesday when they will be questioned by police. The police said the owner was distraught at the discovery.

The listing of the house was removed from Airbnb on Sunday. The house has seven bedrooms and was built in the 19th century. It has its own swimming pool and ls located near a forest. It is in a well-off neighborhood. The price per night for rental was 400 euros or 435 US dollars per night.

An autopsy, which was performed on Monday, did not establish the cause of the woman's death but estimated the time of death to be a month or more ago. There will be further forensic examinations. The house can be seen here.

More calls for foreign intervention in Libya

There are new warnings about the threat of radical Islamist groups in Libya and also calls for foreign intervention. Several groups in Libya have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Abdoulaye Diop, the foreign minister of Mali, called for foreign intervention in Libya "to combat the spread of terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa and restore a central government." Diop claimed that "as long as a solution is not found to the Libyan crisis almost everything that we are doing in Mali and throughout the Sahel more broadly speaking will continue to be threatened." Diop said that an international force should be set up "to neutralize the armed groups" but also to promote national reconciliation and set up stable democratic institutions in Libya.

 There are two rival governments in Libya. The internationally-recognized government is located in the eastern city of Tobruk with prime minister Abdullah al-Thinni and a competing government in Tripoli with prime minister Omar al-Hassi. The Tobruk government is supported by forces loyal to CIA-linked General Khalifa Haftar, while the Tripoli government is supported by various anti-government militias including some associated with radical Islamists. It seems unlikely that any foreign intervention would involve disarming Haftar's militia which are now regarded as part of the Libyan armed forces. Any intervention will probably be directed against the forces allied with the Tripoli government.

 On November 6 lat year, the Libyan Supreme Court ruled that the June elections in Libya last year were unconstitutional and that the Tobruk parliament should be dissolved. The Tobruk government rejected the ruling and most governments have ignored the ruling. Diop noted that problems with rebels taking over northern Mali were in part a result of fighters such as the Tuareg who had supported Gadaffi returning to northern Mali and starting a rebellion. If there are attempts to disarm radical Islamists allied with the Tripoli government this could result in the same type of migration out of Libya into other countries in the Sahel area such as Mali, hardly a solution to the problem that Diop pointed out.

 Diop was particularly concerned about a group in the south of Libya allegedly allied with the Islamic State. The group executed 14 soldiers loyal to the Tobruk government near the southern city of Sabha according to a statement by the Tobruk government. A website calling itself the Islamic State in Libya claimed that it had killed 12 soldiers at the same location and even posted a photo said to show the execution of one of the soldiers. The rival Tripoli government condemned the killings.

 The port of Derna in eastern Libya has also some radical Islamists who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. These types of developments help advance the increasingly prevalent narrative that Libya is now becoming a threat to the whole region and that there needs to be foreign intervention. While the Tobruk government has not asked for direct foreign intervention it has asked that an arms embargo be lifted so that the government to help fight what it calls terrorists. As with the late Colonel Gadaffi any opponents of the government are termed terrorists. Lifting the arms embargo could only help one side in the conflict, the militia of General Haftar which are now part of the Libyan armed forces. In effect it would be clearly aiding one party in what is now a civil war.

 France meanwhile says it will bomb any jihadists crossing the border from southern Libya into other parts of the Sahel. French president Hollande said: "We are making sure to contain the terrorism that took refuge there, in southern Libya. But France will not intervene in Libya because it's up to the international community to take its responsibility.'' 

 The UN has been trying to broker a dialogue between the two rival governments but with the continued clashes there seems little hope of a meeting between the groups let alone a political solution to the conflict. The last international flights have now been ended after the internationally-recognized government attacked the airport in Misrata and also the one functioning airport in Tripoli. The same government also recently attacked a Greek freighter in the port of Derna killing two crew members and wounding two other. Even the US has issued a statement condemning that attack.

Obama may be planning to intervene in Libya with others

In Obama's recent announcement of the expansion of attacks against the Islamic State in Iraq and also into Syria, he also spoke of the need for vigilance in northern Africa.

Obama may also be turning his sights on a possible intervention in Libya which is more and more described in the media as a failed state. Ever since the CIA-linked General Khalifa Haftar began his Operation Dignity against Islamist militias and had his allies the Zintan Brigades attack and burn parliament while kidnapping some Islamist lawmakers and officials, there have been counter-attacks by umbrella groups of mostly Islamist militias who now control Tripoli and also most of Benghazi.
Obama could argue that the success of Islamist militias could lead to a safe haven for radical Islamist groups. Some radical groups are already associated with Islamist militia umbrella groups, especially in Benghazi, including Ansar al Sharia, the group accused of the attack on the US embassy in Benghazi. The US along with allies could intervene to support the government in Tobruk and indirectly Haftar.
 France is already pushing for intervention. There has already been intervention in the form of several night attacks by mystery planes directed against Islamist targets in Tripoli. They failed to stop the ultimate takeover of the city by the militias. The rebels accused the UAE and Egypt of being behind the attacks. Haftar himself called the attacks a joint project with the international community. Later, the US also accused the UAE and Egypt of being behind the attacks and claimed to have known nothing about the attacks before they happened. This seems quite unlikely. More likely, the US might have even approved even if tacitly. Later still, the US withdrew its accusations against the UAE and Egypt suggesting that the US cannot decide what story it should tell.
 The government elected in June has been meeting in the far eastern city of Tobruk and is loosely allied with Haftar. The interim government had scheduled a meeting of the group in Benghazi where parliament had been moved but the security situation prevented it. In a recent interview, Obama suggested for Libya the sort of nation building and long term commitment which was part of the US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan neither of which have been very successful so far but cost the US huge sums and many casualties.
 Obama said: "I think we [and] our European partners underestimated the need to come in full force if you’re going to do this. Then it’s the day after Ghadafi is gone, when everybody is feeling good and everybody is holding up posters saying, ‘Thank you, America. At that moment, there has to be a much more aggressive effort to rebuild societies that didn’t have any civic traditions." In neighboring Egypt, the president el-Sisi is waging an all-out battle against any Islamists who oppose his government especially the Muslim Brotherhood which until it was overthrown ran the first elected government. El-Sisi designates these Islamists as terrorists. Obama could very well decide to describe the Islamist militias in Libya as terrorists and intervene as part of his global war on terror.
Obama said: "As Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead from Europe to Asia—from the far reaches of Africa to war-torn capitals of the Middle East—we stand for justice, for dignity, Abroad, American leadership is the one constant in an uncertain world. It is America that has the capacity and the will to mobilize the world against terrorists.” In his recent speech Obama emphasized that the greatest threats at present come from the Middle East and North Africa where he claims radical groups are exploiting grievances for their own game. General Haftar could very well play a key role in helping Obama rebuild Libya in any attempt to create a Libya more to the liking of the west and western corporations eager to further the exploitation of Libya's vast oil resources.
 One suggestion by Barak Barfi is as follows:"Washington and its partners should persuade the new Libyan government to appoint Haftar as chief of staff. Respected by his troops, he has the military skills and combat experience necessary to create a modern army. But most important, he is the sole Libyan willing to take on the Islamist militias that are preventing the establishment of a modern state" The Tobruk-based government has dismissed 7 ambassadors loyal to the GNC-formed government in Tripoli.

One-sixth in France have favorable view of ISIS

ICM Research polled people in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom as to whether they have favorable of unfavorable attitudes to ISIS, now calling itself the Islamic State.

Although the poll was commissioned by Russian state media, the polling firm ICM Research is from the UK. Even the overall results average shows 9 percent having a favorable view of ISIS: The poll revealed that overall 2 percent and 7 percent say they are very favourable and somewhat favourable towards ISIS but a greater 26 percent and 43 percent are somewhat unfavourable and very unfavourable towards ISIS.  

 A number of Europeans, usually from predominantly Muslim communities, have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join jihadist groups such as ISIS. The executioner in the video allegedly depicting the execution of US journalist James Foley had a British accent, stoking fears in the UK that there would be attacks carried out by ISIS in the UK itself. Prime Minister Cameron subsequently raised the terror alert to severe. 

At the same time as support for radical Islamic groups appears on the rise, there is increased intolerance and a "growing willingness to embrace extremism and intolerance of all kinds." Far right politics are attracting more adherents in Europe. British writer Kenan Malik also notes that there is an increasing trend to embrace what he calls "anti-politics" with a growing contempt for politics and politicians. He claims this tendency creates conditions for joining radicalism and bigotry. Many people he claims see a world out of control, or ruled by malign forces, giving rise to conspiracy theories becoming more popular and even mainstream.

 In the UK there could very well be more British citizens fighting in Syria for militant groups than are serving in the British armed forces depending upon whose figures you believe. UK MP from Perry Barr constituency in Birmingham, Khalid Mahmood claims that there are at least 1,500 young UK Muslims fighting for the Islamic State more than twice the number serving in the UK armed forces: "If you look across the whole of the country, and the various communities involved, 500 going over each year would be a conservative estimate.” Over the three years of the Syrian conflict this would give a total of 1500. There are said to be 600 Muslims in the UK armed forces: According to the Ministry of Defence, there are only around 600 British Muslims currently serving in the Armed Forces, making up approximately around 0.4 percent of total personnel. 4.3 percent of the British population are Muslim. 

 Details of the ICM polling process are as follows: ICM interviewed 3,007 respondents in three countries; GB (1,000), France (1,006) and Germany (1,001) by telephone between 11th-21st July 2014. Surveys were conducted across each country and the results have been weighted to the profile of each nation. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

Tuareg rebels in Mali support French intervention

The Tuareg rebels who want an independent state of Azawad in northern Mali are ready to support French military intervention to help combat Islamic rebels in the north.

Contrary to my report in an earlier article, the rebels in northern Mali are not all united against the French military intervention. Moussa Ag Assarid, a representative of the Azawad National Liberation Movement, said:

"We're ready to help, we are already involved in the fight against terrorism. We can do the job on the ground. We've got men, arms and, above all, the desire to rid Azawad of terrorism."

After a coup in March of 2012, the Tuareg were able to capture much of the north. On April 6 2012, the MNLA declared the independence of Azawad from Mali. A declaration of Independence was signed but no foreign government recognized the state. Over the next month or so, the MNLA lost territory to Islamists. One group that contested territory with the MNLA was Ansar Dine led by former Tuareg fighter Ilya Ag Ghaly. Although the MNLA and Ansar Dine declared on May 26 that they would merge to form an Islamist state, conflict continued. Towards the end of June 2012, Ansar Dine claimed control of all the cities in northern Mali. The MNLA, very much weakened, tried to negotiate a form of self-rule with the central government. . The Tuareg now expect the Malian government to allow the French to help them defeat the Islamists and as a reward give them autonomy in the north. They also demand that the Malian army stay out of the territory until an agreement is reached. An MNLA official said:

"We don't want to see the Malian army in Azawad without a prior accord between the two parties. We are ready for talks aimed at finding a solution."

It is not clear that the MNLA has much sway now on the ground. The group is accused of raping and pillage in its earlier takeover of the north. The MNLA made the mistake of selling weapons to the Islamists. Some of the Tuareg had fought for Gadaffi and when he was overthrown moved into Mali bringing weapons with them.

Assad may have helped French spies ambush Gadaffi

According to an article in a British newspaper the Syrian government offered French spies operating in Sirte, Gadaffi's satellite telephone number. This aided them in trapping Gadaffi by alerting Libyan militia as to where they could ambush his convoy.

Rami El Obeidi, a former senior intelligence officer in Tripoli, said:

"In exchange for this information, Assad had obtained a promise of a grace period from the French and less political pressure on the regime – which is what happened,"

International attention was shifting from the situation in Libya to that in Syria and Assad hoped that by helping the French, pressure would be removed from his regime. Assad should have known better. It worked for a short while only. For years Assad had acted as a destination for terror suspects who were rendered to notorious Syrian prisons for interrogation and torture. He always obediently provided guarantees that the suspects would not be tortured so U.S. authorities would not be complicit in sending anyone to be tortured. He was not rewarded for that either. In time the French along with the rest of western countries would turn against Assad as he crushed dissent within Syria. Now Islamic terrorists are allied with the west in attempting to overthrow Assad. If Assad is eventually overthrown do not expect gratitude from the jihadists.

Nicolas Sarkozy the former president of France was one of the first and most avid supporters of western intervention in Libya. France also played a leading role in the UN-approved NATO mission to bomb Libya, supposedly to protect civilians.

Mahmoud Jibril, who was prime minister under the Libyan transitional government, confirmed that a foreign "agent" was involved in the operation that ultimately killed Gadaffi. However, Jibril did not identify the nationality of the agent. An Italian newspaper quoted western diplomats in Tripoli who claimed that if a foreign agent were involved it was almost certainly a French agent.

This revelation could be embarrassing for NATO. NATO has always claimed that it did not target individuals. However on several occasions NATO bombed sites where Gadaffi might have been staying.

The official story of Gadaffi's death is that an RAF surveillance plane spotted a large convoy of vehicles leaving Sirte on October 20th last year. NATO warplanes bombed the convoy supposedly unaware that Gadaffi was traveling in it. Militia members found Gadaffi in a drainpipe and he was killed by one of his captors. As is often the case the official story is not likely true. The French spy had told the militia where Gadaffi's convoy could be ambushed. According to Mr El Obeidi:

"French intelligence played a direct tole in the death of Gaddafi, including his killing.They gave directions that he was to be apprehended, but they didn't care if he was bloodied or beaten up as long as he was delivered alive."

Of course it turns out he was not delivered alive.

French intelligence officers were able to pinpoint Gadaffi's location when he made a call to a loyalist and a Palestinian militant leader in Syria. Obeidi said although both Turkish and British intelligence officers were informed of the ambush it was an exclusively French operation.

Gadaffi was double-crossed by the French as well. He had been on good terms with Sarkozy even donating considerable amounts to Sarkozy's election campaign. He had threatened to reveal details of these donations when Sarkozy no longer supported him. Western diplomats said according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera

:“Sarkozy had every reason to want to get rid of the colonel as quickly as possible."

That mission has been long accomplished. What remains is for France to negotiate new and better contracts for Libyan oil.

One lone protester in Marseille, France, greeted by 60 riot police

In Marseille authorities were well prepared to deal with any illegal demonstrations They were determined to enforce the ban on demonstrations against the anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims" and cartoons mocking the Prophet in Charlie Hebdo magazine.

The situation was tense and dramatic. The French government had banned demonstrations in the interests of public safety after a French magazine published insulting anti-Islam cartoons that mocked the Prophet. There had been protests already virtually around the globe against the film "Innocence of Muslims". The authorities were prepared. Well prepared.

Overhead there was a police helicopter. On the ground there were sixty massed riot police ready for any violence. More than two dozen journalists had their cameras ready to capture all the action.

Then Omar Djellil entered and perched on a concrete block from which he harangued passersby:

“I may be the only one today but I am the spokesman of a silent majority."

Djellil had attempted to get permission for a demonstration but police refused as there is a ban in place. As well as lecturing people Djellil also plastered walls in the southern port city with posters. One said: "French Muslims don't need authorization to defend their rights". Another spoke of Hebdo pigs a reference to the satirical French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed some of them showing him naked.

The police stood by, the helicopter hovered, but no one moved to arrest Djellil. The French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said that he would not sanction any protests since they would represent a threat to public order. Djellil's unauthorized protest ended without incident. Having made his point Djellil no doubt just went home as did the riot police, the reporters, and the helicopter.

Riot police were deployed in several different areas of the French capital, Paris, to enforce the ban on demonstrations but as of mid-afternoon there were no reports of demonstrations or trouble. There were squads of riot police at the Grand Mosque near the Eiffel Tower and also on the Place de la Concorde where a week ago a demonstration against the anti-Islam film had resulted in the arrest of 150 protesters.

Back on November 2, last year Charlie Hebdo's office was fire-bombed and its website hacked. The magazine had planned a special edition called "Charia Hebdo" with the Prophet Mohammed listed as editor-in-chief.

French auto maker Peugeot to cut workforce by 10,000 claims union.

  As sales slump at Peugeot the company may cut up to 10 per cent of its work force in France to save money. Christian Lafaye head of a Peugeot union said: “They will raise the job cuts target in France alone to 8,000-10,000,”
  Peugeot is the second largest auto maker in Europe. Earlier it had announced up to 6,000 were to be cut in the area. In 2011 Peugeot employed about 100,000 in France and over 200,000 globally. Peugeot's Europena sales dropped 15 per cent over the last five months over twice the 7.3 per cent industry wide drop.
 General Motors has a seven per cent share in Peugeot French auto makers are hoping that the government may introduce incentives to buy more fuel efficient cars. For more see this article.
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Qatar's cover up campaign

Activists in Qatar are actually promoting a cover up campaign. It is called the "One of Us" campaign. The campaign is to encourage foreigners living in the country to respect the Qatari culture and dress modestly rather than in styles that reveal considerable flesh as is common in many countries.

Najila Al Mahmoud who leads the campaign wants to educate expatriates about the norms of modesty in Qatar. Both men and women should cover up between shoulders and knees. She claims that during the summer "the scene of exposed flesh increases", She says that Qataris or at least many of them are offended by this and thinks that if people realize this is so they will dress more appropriately.

Most local women wear an abaya, a black garment covering most of the body. The men also wear a garment the kandura that is often ankle length and made of white shades.

Foreign women are divided on the issue some siding with the cover up campaign but others suggesting the women could find better issues to promote. Many people point out that merchants in Qatari malls especially in high end stores do not even stock local clothes or indeed many clothes that would be considered acceptable according to the cover up criteria. In the Dubai Mall there are see through blouses, plunging necklines, and slit skirts that are nearly waist high. Fancy lingerie is quite popular.

Some people have called the cover up campaign hypocritical because Muslims have opposed veil bans in France and Belgium. I do not find that hypocritical. It is not as if they opposed all bans on the manner of dress. What may be hypocritical is that they support covering up but sell and perhaps buy clothes that reveal flesh. The Qataris point out as well that the dress code is not interfering with religious as is the banning of the veil.

So far Qatar has not made it a crime to violate the dress code as is the case in Belgium and France. In that sense Qatar is more liberal than France or Belgium. Of course one may be banned from entering a restaurant if you are not properly dressed but that is common in many countries. For more see this article.

Socialists win majority in French elections

The result will mean that the Socialist Party led by president Francois Hollande will be able to govern without depending upon Green or Communist parliamentary members. The Socialists reportedly won 320 seats far more than the 289 needed for a majority. Sarkozy's party won 221 and the right wing National Front only two seats.

Turnout for the second round of elections was 56 per cent. The Socialist Party now has control of the presidency, upper and lower houses, all but two regions and most large cities.

However Hollande now faces the task of raising revenues and no doubt taxes and cutting spending as well. For more see this Bloomberg article.

France: Far right candidate polls 20 per cent in presidential race

Although the Socialist candidate Hollande led Sarkozy by 29 to 26 per cent the runoff result is far from certain. The runoff between Hollande and Sarkozy will take place May 6.

The big surprise was the strong showing of Marine Le Pen who broke her father's record in 2002. The leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon finished far behind in fourth at 11 per cent. Bayrou a centrist candidate managed less than ten per cent at fifth.

Le Pen's policy of reserving jobs for French nationals resonated with many as jobless claims are at a 12 year record high. She also wants to jettison the Euro. Right and left populist parties are surging throughout Europe as austerity programs hurt the people.

Unfortunately for Hollande polls show about half of Le Pen's supporters will vote for Sarkozy and only one fifth for Hollande. Hollande wants to focus on growth rather than austerity measures. However who knows what he will do if elected. The Greek socialist Papandreou implemented austerity measures albeit not well enough to avoid being replaced by a technocrat.

Hollande also promises to raise taxes on the wealthy if elected. For more see this article.

Russia may buy Greek railway system

Greece has long lost sovereignty to its creditors. In return for loans it has been forced to sell off state assets. No doubt they will go at fire sale prices.

The Russian railway monopoly Russsian Railways is in talks with Greek authorities. The head of Russian Railways said: "We're keeping in contact with the Greeks … They haven't decided on the model yet, so it's too early to talk about our participation."

Romania's largest private railway is interested in the cargo part of the Greek business. Russia has been interested in investing in Greek railways for some time.Proposals made last year were reportedly rejected by Greece. The situation may be different now.

However there are reports that Greece wants a French company to run the railways to service foreign debts. However the French company involved SNCF said through a spokesperson that the operator "is not in the running for the purchase of Trainose, nor is it in the running for the purchase of a railway company or a railway line in Greece".

An EU timetable has tenders for Trainose (the Greek railway system) to be opened in the last quarter of this year. All the assets of the company will be transferred to a privatization fund. The proceeds will go to pay off Greek debt.

Nuclear weapons worldwide data

This BBC article lists countries with nuclear weapons and how many they have.

Total world nuclear warheads are estimated be 20,000. Many however are not operational.

Only about one quarter or 5,000 of the total are operational. Countries are secretive about how many nuclear weapons they have. Israel officially does not even admit it has any.

The Federation of American Scientists has made estimates of stockpiles of each nuclear country based on information that is available.

Russia has the largest stockpile with 2,430 operational weapons and an estimated 10,000 in all. The U.S. has 1,950 that are operational with a total of 8,500.

In comparison to the U.S. and Russia other countries have relatively few nuclear warheads. France has 290 operational and 300 stockpiled. China is said to have 0 operational but 240 stockpiled.. The UK 160 operational and 225 stockpiled.. Israel has 0 operational but about 80 stockpiled.

Pakistan has 0 operational but between 90 and 110 stockpiled. India also has 0 operational but about 80to 100 stockpiled. The two countries are about equal in stockpiles.

Finally North Korea has 0 operational and less than 10 stockpiled. Obviously there is a huge task ahead if nuclear weapons are to be eliminated. No doubt Russia and the U.S. could both eliminate some of their stockpiles without endangering any power balance.

French President Sarkozy proposes to jail frequent visitors to terror websites

In an over-reaction to the horrific killings by a French terrorist who had trained in an Al Qaida camp French president Sarkozy has proposed jailing frequent visitors to jihadist websites.

Of course Sarkozy would have to exempt all the many CIA, British, French, and numerous other intelligence agents who are regular visitors. This in itself might be a formidable task to filter them out. The fact that these lurkers were not jailed would also alert the terrorists as to who were likely agents!

At a political rally Sarkozy said:“Anyone who regularly consults Internet sites which promote terror or hatred or violence will be sentenced to prison,” “What is possible for pedophiles should be possible for trainee terrorists and their supporters, too.”

Of course many reporters and researchers log on to these jihadist websites. The public would be cut off from any accounts of what is happening on these websites by reporters or research by academics.

While there is nothing quite like this being proposed in the U.S. the author notes that the U.S. is now proposing to keep information on your browsing etc. for up to five years. So if you did look at these sites and fall under suspicion of being a terrorist the information could be used by investigators. For more see this article. From the polls it looks as if Sarkozy will not remain president of France much longer so French lurkers on jihadist sites need not worry.

France: Sarkozy trails socialist rival in presidential race

Recent polls show French president Nicolas Sarkozy falling further behind his Socialist rival Francois Hollande. Candidates from smaller parties are gaining more support.

A survey conducted on March 2-3 shows Sarkozy at 23 per cent as against 30.5 per cent for the leader Hollande. The gap between the two candidates widened by 1.5 percentage points since Feb. 19th. The first round of the election is on April 22.

The anti-euro candidate Marine Le Pen also gained a percentage point to 15 per cent even with the centrist Francois Bayrou who gained two percentage points.

If no candidate gets a majority on the first ballot the top two will face a runoff. In a runoff polls show Sarkozy again losing out with 42 per cent against 58 for Hollande. This gap is 6 percentage more than on Feb. 19th. For more see this article.

Fitch ratings: France still triple A but outlook negative

    Several other European countries were also downgraded by placing them on a rating watch negative review. The agency expects to complete the review for Spain, Italy, Belgium, Slovenia, Ireland and Cyprus by the end of January.
    The move by the rating agency will put more pressure on Eurozone leaders to do more to solve the two year debt crisis in Europe. Although European leaders have agreed to form a tighter fiscal union but the debt crisis for several countries has not been resolved.
   There has been resistance to using the European Central Bank as a backup. The ECB has not as yet made a commitment to buy bonds of the countries needing debt financing. Fitch claims that the meeting of European leaders did not produce definitive policy solutions to the crisis. For more see this article.


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Socialists slam Sarkozy over new benefit for poor.

This is distributing wealth from the poor to the poor, but I guess that is an improvement from distributing wealth from the poor to the rich. Maybe the point is that misery should be distributed more equally among the poor. France has always had an egalitarian streak! This is from IHT.

Socialists slam Sarkozy over new benefit for poor
By Thierry Leveque
Reuters
Friday, April 25, 2008
PARIS: France's opposition Socialists accused President Nicolas Sarkozy of helping some poor people by penalising others on Friday after he said he would fund a new state benefit by cutting tax breaks for low income workers.

The new "active solidarity revenue" of 1,000 to 2,000 euros (787-1,573 pounds) per person per month is intended to help poor single parents and long-term unemployed people. It is expected to benefit 1.9 million people.

Sarkozy said it would cost the state 1.5 billion euros in new funding. Extra money would come from savings obtained by cutting tax breaks for low income workers that currently benefit 8-9 million people and cost 4 billion euros a year.

"He is redistributing money from the poor to the poor instead of taking it back from the rich," said Segolene Royal, the Socialist candidate who lost last year's presidential election to Sarkozy.

The new scheme, now being trialled in 34 of France's 100 local government areas, aims to give the poor an incentive to take a job rather than remain on welfare. As things stand, people automatically lose certain state benefits when they take a job and in some cases their income decreases.

In the only major domestic policy announcement of a prime-time interview on Thursday night, aimed at boosting his low popularity ratings, Sarkozy said he would extend the scheme to the whole country next year.

SOCIALIST PROTEST

The Socialists, who introduced the tax breaks for low earners when they were in government in 2001, say Sarkozy has largely helped the rich with his own 15 billion euro tax cut package, introduced shortly after he took office.

A Socialist party statement said French families in the lower income bracket would lose some of their purchasing power. It said the tax breaks for such families should be increased by 50 percent, not reduced.

But Martin Hirsch, a former charity head recruited into the government by Sarkozy to look for ways of reducing poverty, defended the plan, which was his brainchild.

"This is really excellent news for all of those who are facing difficulties and who can't escape from poverty ... I think this is going to bring about significant social progress," Hirsch told France Info radio.

A public finances watchdog had said in a 2006 report that the tax breaks were not effective because they were spread too thinly, making little impact on individual households' income or on job creation.

(Writing by Estelle Shirbon, editing by Mark Trevelyan)



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