Very different reactions of French and American Presidents to news of troops killed

[moderate libertarian]

Day after 10 American/French troops were killed in Afghanistan in a decade old war, very different reactions from Presidents of two nations.

What French President Sarkosy did day after 4 French troops were killed in Afghansitan:


JANUARY 21, 2012
France Threatens Afghan Pullout After Attack

France suspended its training and combat-support operations in Afghanistan and threatened to pull its troops from the country after an Afghan soldier opened fire on a group of French service members, killing four and seriously wounding eight.

"The French army isn't in Afghanistan to be shot at by Afghan soldiers," President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a speech to diplomats in Paris. The incident on Friday was the second attack by Afghan forces on French soldiers since late December.

Mr. Sarkozy dispatched Defense Minister Gérard Longuet and the head of the French army to Afghanistan to conduct a review of security, and said the operations would be on hold until it is completed.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204616504577172321948562072.html


What American President Obama did day after 6 US Marines were killed in Afghanistan:

There are no reports of Obama addressing this tragic event while families of the 6 troops killed mourned their deaths.

This is election season and Presidents can be very busy, I tried to see if at least Obama was in somber mood after deaths of troops in a war to which he has sent tens of thousands of sons/daughters of other Americans. Didn't see any indication of that either in this fund raising video that was released to media that day:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUl_jf9aWZI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUl_jf9aWZI


Amazingly, Drudge has a headline on 4 French troops killed but not for 6 US marines that died same day. There is a headline about Iran shutting down Barbii doll shops though.


It's probably an issue of broader American culture desensitized to sons/daughters of other Americans daily getting killed in foreign wars when many people don't seem to realize even if America is in a war. Perhaps that's price for being in perpetual wars?

[liberty2897]

A sad, but powerful comment. Shared with others. Thanks.

[moderate libertarian]

The shap contrast of moods struck me when I watched NBC evening news that day. They first aired report of 6 Marines killed in Afghansitan and soon after that Obama's merry singing at fund raiser.

This is probably just a coincidence, in last half hour headline about 4 French toops kilkled with photo of French President and news about Iran Barbi doll shop shutdown both have disappaered from Drudge.

[liberty2897]

This is probably just a coincidence, in last half hour headline about 4 French toops kilkled with photo of French President and news about Iran Barbi doll shop shutdown both have disappaered from Drudge.

Maybe, but I can tell you as someone who has followed online news for many months very closely (due to lack of work), many articles seem to just "disappear" if they seem to go against the interests of the status quo after they are published. Maybe more people should be out of work in order to wake them up to this fact. From the looks of things, that is probably exactly what is going to happen. I still have hope.

btw,
Google used to show the number of hits in the "most popular" section of their news section. Made it very easy to see that really popular articles would vanish (even though they were extremely active). This is when I first realized that the MSM really was tightly controlled. This is definitely not paranoia IMO.

[Varin]

Sarkozy is being pushed from the right in the upcoming election. That´s the reason for his stance.

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

Sarkozy is being pushed from the right in the upcoming election. That´s the reason for his stance.

sarkozy also campaigning , same as obomba

[TheLibertarianNationalist]

Yeah Sarkozy is campaigning against two anti-war candidates. He's just playing politics.

[moderate libertarian]

Yeah Sarkozy is campaigning against two anti-war candidates. He's just playing politics.

And what is Obama doing, playing politics against pro-war candidates?

[cindy25]

Sarkozy is running for re-election; Obama is not (the nominee will be Hillary)

[moderate libertarian]

Sarkozy is running for re-election; Obama is not (the nominee will be Hillary)

You seem very certain, so I guess this is not just speculation.

[moderate libertarian]

France Honors Bulgarian, French Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan

Defense | January 24, 2012, Tuesday

Paris will commemorate on Tuesday the four soldiers from the French military contingent who were killed in Afghanistan last week, including Bulgarian sergeant Svilen Simeonov.

The military honors ceremony will be held at the Home of the Disabled in Paris at noon with only the relatives of the dead and officials attending.

Before that the motorcade will pass through the bridge "Alexander III", where the citizens of Paris have been invited to express their homage with „dignified silence and fraternal presence", according to the invitation by the Paris garrison commander.

The gesture is meant to raise awareness of the fate of French soldiers in Afghanistan.

The bodies of the four French soldiers, including one Bulgarian-born man, who were killed in northern Afghanistan Friday, after a serviceman from the Afghan National Army opened fire, were transported to Paris on Monday.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=136007

[The One]

You seem very certain, so I guess this is not just speculation.

Correct. She traveled back through time in her DeLorean with firsthand knowledge.

[moderate libertarian]

Sarkozy is being pushed from the right in the upcoming election. That´s the reason for his stance.

With two higher ranking officers shot dead today, there is a shift in US policy too and Obama issued a statement today that he backs this move:

This maybe a tipping ppoint. France had already decided to leave Afganistan sooner. Yesterday Germany announced that it was closing a military base early due to security concerns.



25 February 2012 Last updated at 11:10 ET

Nato pulls out of Afghan ministries after Kabul attack

Any attacker would have had the highest clearance

Nato has withdrawn all its personnel from Afghan ministries after two senior officers were shot dead in the interior ministry building in Kabul.

Nato said an "individual" had turned his gun on the officers, believed to be an American colonel and major, and had not yet been identified or caught.



There is an end of an era feeling in Kabul these days - for what Afghans see as the latest foreign venture in their country.

They have seen off the Russians and the British before and now it is America's time that is drawing to a close, with the British and other Nato allies eager to depart with them.

The revelation that US troops had dumped copies of the Koran into an incineration pit may hasten that end.

Battle for perceptions

Returning to Afghanistan after several years away, it is striking how much the mood has changed against the US and its allies.

"With anti-American demonstrations spreading across the country, what may just have been soldiers obeying a simple order could turn into a tipping point”

From recent episodes of troops urinating on Taliban bodies to the many instances of civilians being killed over the past 11 years, attitudes towards the Americans have progressively hardened.

There is also widespread frustration at how little has changed, despite the huge quantities of money that have poured in here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17140569

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17165410



Even before the latest killings, mood was already very volatile:


Four shot dead, U.S. embassy on ‘lockdown’ as Afghan protests rage over Koran burning

Reuters Feb 22, 2012

http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/afghan-1.jpg?w=620

http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/afghan-2.jpg?w=300&h=385

KABUL — Four people were shot dead and dozens wounded in protests in Afghanistan which flared for a second day on Wednesday in several cities over the burning of copies of the Koran, Islam’s holy book, at NATO’s main base in the country.

The American Embassy said its staff were in “lockdown” and travel had been suspended as thousands of people expressed fury over the burning, a public relations disaster for U.S.-led NATO forces fighting Taliban militants ahead of the withdrawal of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.


Demonstrators set fire to part of a housing compound used by foreign contract workers. A Reuters witness said the fire damaged part of a guesthouse at the Green Village complex, where 1,500 mostly foreign contractors live and work.

Afghan demonstrators show copies of Koran books allegedly set alight by US soldiers, during a protest against Koran desecration at the gate of Bagram airbase on February 21, 2012 at Bagram.
Outrage also spilled over in the Afghan parliament, where several members shouted “death to America” inside the legislative chamber.


http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/22/four-shot-dead-u-s-embassy-on-lockdown-as-afghan-protests-rage-over-koran-burning/