Monday, November 07, 2005
France reaches into the counterinsurgency toolbox
Villepin said curfews will be imposed under a 1955 law that allows the declaring of a state of emergency in parts or all of France. The law was passed to curb unrest in Algeria during the war that led to its independence.
The French considered Algeria to be a department of metropolitan France, so it is not surprising that a law passed to deal with unrest in Algeria applies by its terms to France proper. It is both poetic and ironic that Villepin -- a biographer and devotee of Napoleon -- is deploying the law to suppress an uprising of North Africans. The French, who ordinarily appreciate historical symmetry, perhaps can be forgiven if they do not notice this time.
The question arises, to whom does the curfew apply? Everybody, or only youths? Or perhaps only "youths"? The English language press accounts are not helpful, but the French are. Here is the original French story on the curfews from Le Monde, translated here.
The prime minister [Villepin - ed.] announced that Jacques Chirac has called a special meeting of his ministers Tuesday morning treating the application of a curfew “wherever necessary,” activating provisions of the 1955 law. “Prefects will be able, under the authority of the interior minister [Nicolas Sarkozy, Villepin's political rival - ed.], to apply the curfew if they find it useful to allow calm to return and to assure the protection of residents. The prefects will determine which areas are most sensitive where they judge such a measure to be necessary.”
It seems that the local police will have the authority to determine curfews, which means that there is the possibility, and the risk, of inflammatory [bad choice of words - ed.] selective application. Note that Villepin announced the curfew, but declared that it was "under the authority of the interior minister." (Speculation Alert) Without knowing a damned thing about the French law, it seems as if Villepin is setting up the interior minister, Villepin's political rival, to be the fall guy for any adverse reaction to the curfew. Readers who know something of French governance and politics are invited to comment.
The last question, of course, is whether the curfews will work. Wretchard, who graphs the rate of growth in "Car-B-Qs," believes that the government missed a huge opportunity to act decisively about a week ago. Now that we've passed the Car-B-Q inflection point, an early bedtime might not be enough to shut it down.
4 Comments:
By 
, at
Tue Nov 08, 01:09:00 AM:
Dear Mr. TigerHawk:
We agree that M. Sarkozy is walking the tight-rope and will very likely fall to his political death. He has talked a lot, but not delivered results. Always best to do the opposite, but the French police still haven't delivered to him any capabilities or options. Amazing. We were always told how well policed France was and how well they managed their "Islamic problem."
We have several posts on the France arson crisis, including the latest
The forge of battle on France's streets
which asserts that a new army was born this week. Even if the riots stop tomorrow, the rioters have scored a great victory. If the riots began spontaneously, the rioters are organized and confident now. That spells trouble for another say.
We are more convinced than ever that Islamic enclaves inside France will result from this crisis, even if that was never anyone's plan.
Westhawk
By 
Sotosoroto, at
Tue Nov 08, 12:27:00 PM:
The interior minister is in charge of all police in France, so it would be his responsibility to enforce the curfew no matter who announced it.
By , at
Tue Nov 08, 12:48:00 PM:
Mister Sarkozy is the only kabinet member who want to take a tough stand against the radicals, that's why he is much more populair than Villepen.
But the European elite is still strongly supporting the counter weight strategy named: "Eurabia" and it's defender is: Villepen.
So this is the big test and with the temporary abolition of Democratic rule in France we now enter the uncontrolled face...
It just make me wonder, what did the people think on the night before World War II starten?
By Dan Kauffman, at
Wed Nov 09, 03:06:00 AM:
Words fail to give an adequate picture of the present days in France, but this Map despite the fact that it is without doubt dated at this time, does reveal what the media has clouded with smoke and mirrors.
France in Flames
