“Let No One Doubt It”: France Ready To Wage War In Chad
LA ROCHELLE, France (AP) - France is ready to launch a military operation in Chad against rebels if necessary, President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday.
France has more than 1,000 troops already based in Chad, a former French colony in central Africa where rebels and government troops have been clashing in and near the capital for three days.
“If France must do its duty, it will do so,” Sarkozy said in response to a question on a possible French military operation in Chad. “Let no one doubt it.”
On Monday, the United Nations Security Council paved the way for countries allied with Chad to help repel a rebel offensive.
Sarkozy said French troops not been involved in the fighting except last Friday night, when they opened fire to protect French civilians being evacuated. He said that was a case of self-defense.
Sarkozy dismissed as “absolutely not exact” rebel claims that French forces had killed civilians.
Sarkozy insisted, however, that it would be better to “leave Chad alone.”
“If Chad were a victim of an aggression, France would have—and I stress the conditional tense—the means to resist this action.”
The fighting appears to have resulted in some civilian casualties and threatened to increase instability in the restive region along the border with war-ravaged Darfur in western Sudan.
A French military spokesman, Christophe Prazuck, said two French soldiers were wounded in the fighting.
Prazuck, speaking on i-Tele television, said the French forces had not “participated in combat” or used aircraft, but had fired shots as convoys sought to bring civilians to camps and airfields.
“We were regularly engaged. We passed under crossfire. We deflected stray bullets, we immediately returned fire, with commensurate force, with infantry weapons,” he said.
Prazuck said it was not clear whether the French convoys were specifically targeted by the rebels.
“We had to cross this front to bring our compatriots to military camps. The shots could have come from all sides,” he said.
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I bet the Legion is there. Good. Let them deal with the slime.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Wow! Time to be proud of France. Now that is a nice change. Let me guess, ah, let’s see; the rebels are from the religion of peace. Hey Pierre, do a good job; kick their ass.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:40 pmNicolas Sarkozy … France’s newly grown balls.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:52 pmGotta love that Sarko!
February 5th, 2008 at 7:20 pmHe sent troops into Chad to help repel insurgents? That is sooo GWB. Loves it.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:20 amwe even take care of your population there :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH4XRvz1v40
Now, as far as our involvment in Chad, it’s not new and had nothing to be considered as a Sarko volition : our army is in Chad since the president there called us for help, when Qhadafi was trying to invade Chad : that was during Mitterand’s reign ; that was also one of our militaries proud facts : destroyed the Qhadafi’s airport that was injustly set on northern Chad ; well the things got bad with Qhadafi, it’s when we had our civil plane blown-up above the Tenere desert ; before it got worst, Mitterand and Qhadafi decided to meet through diplomats and look for an agreement.
Since then our army is there, it has many times prevented from human catastrophes ; rebels who want to take power, the Darfur borders, since there is oil in Chad too, ya see why there are some people who looks for ruling the country ;
I bet Sarkosy made the mediatic announce, he is clever at that, to confort his position in the international broadcast
anyway, Chad is going to explode like Darfur, and yes something need to be emphasised there, we know well this territory, the people there expect our help, so yes, we’ll do it !
yes a part of the legion is there, parachutist commandos, air-force, humanitarians…well I’ll have to see what’s our army says
February 6th, 2008 at 4:18 amActually there was an UN resolution last monday saying that the official government must be protected from rebels attacks, they didn’t precise how, who ; as the Frenchs were/are there since 30 years, then it’s the Frenchs ;
350 “marsouins” of the Marine infantry have been sent there
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Marine_Infantry_Parachute_Regiment
February 6th, 2008 at 10:02 am