This is a cause for concern.

Labels: France

Nicolas Sarkozy officially became France's president at 11am local time.

He has been perceived to be bad news for the Arab world: for the region, and for Arabs living in France.

Ever since he brutally surpressed riots across France 18 months ago, calling the young Arab demonstrators 'scum', he has been seen as an enemy of France's Arabs.

And promises to move France closer than ever before to America and Israel have worried Arabs in the region.

But he now seems to be about to pick Bernard Kouchner to be his foreign minister. Kouchner is a maverick left-winger and one of the country's most popular politicians.

Socialists are angry at the appointment, saying it is an attempt to divide their party - which it probably is. But it also acknowledges that while France wants many many changes domestically, they are proud of their defiant independent stance on the world stage. Picking Kouchner seems like Sarkozy's way of saying he'll keep his hands off foreign policy - for now, at least.

But don't bet on this being a long-term thing: "He's capable of storming out of the job. We don't know whether it will last," said political analyst Henri Rey. "There is indeed a risk that the contract will be a short-term one, that he won't accept certain compromises."

Kouchner was one of the few French politicians to speak out in favour of the invasion of Iraq. He co-founded Medcins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders), and he has served as UN Governor of Kosovo.

Labels: France

French President Jacques Chirac leaves the Elysees Palace this morning, and moves into a two-storey flat on the Left Bank in one of the most expensive residential areas in the world, the Quai de Voltaire, directly opposite the Louvre.

He will be living there rent-free. It is owned by Sa'ad Al-Hariri. Sa'ad has 'loaned' him the flat to live in for as long as he wants.

It's a very very expensive thank you present. Thank you for what?

Labels: France, Hariri Militia

Israeli Army Radio is reporting that France urged Israel to invade Syria and topple Bashar As-Assad's government at the start of the war on Lebanon last summer.

They say it was because of Syria's backing for Hizbollah (which threatened the stability of Fouad Siniora's French-backed Lebanese government) and because France blamed Syria for killing Rafiq Al-Hariri, a close friend of French president Jacques Chirac.

This came at the start of the war, in a secret conversation between Chirac and Olmert.

I find this highly dubious, though. It is a well timed move to embarrass France, just days after France gave its blessing to a high-level EU mission to Damascus. Israel was fuming when EU Foreign Minister Javier Solana said he backed Syria's attempts to liberate the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Don't forget, it was France which appeared most angered by the war - at least in public. And it was French soldiers (working for the UN) in Lebanon which threatened to shoot Israeli jets if they flew over Lebanese territory again.

Labels: France, Israel, Lebanon

The mysterious ten.

Serge Brammertz, who is investigating the assasination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, said there are ten countries not co-operating. He also said Syria is "fully co-operating".

Russia threatened to take the issue to the Security Council, demanding to know which ten countries were obstructing the investigation. But Brammertz kept it a secret. Now, he is set to reveal the names in his next report.

They are said to include: France, Israel, the US, Jordan, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Germany.

Ironic, considering France and the US threatened Syria with "further action" if IT did not co-operate.

Labels: France, Hariri inquiry, Israel, Lebanon, UN, US