Now why on earth does France, a mature Western democracy, a NATO country, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, an independent nuclear power, and a major nation of the European Union "that keeps us all safe" need to take such security measures? And lest we forget, it's at Christmas, the most peaceful period in the Calendar.
France is not under any immediate threat of a 1940's style invasion and occupation by a neighbouring power. Indeed, I couldn't even say for certain that 97,000 personnel were ever deployed on the streets at any one time back in 1940 to try and fight off the Nazis.
The troops can therefore only have been deployed to combat what must be a monumental threat to citizens from an Enemy Within. What is this Enemy, and how did it embed itself inside a country which managed to rub along quite well for around 70 years or so after the Liberation of 1944?
Is it maybe a contingent of disgruntled football fans, still seething about German goalkeeper Schumacher's awful unpunished foul in the 1982 World Cup semi-final?
Is any other European Union country at risk from the same threat? And what are they doing about it?
There are other links out there, but this is taken from the Washington Post, a famously liberal and 'progressive' publication so I guess it must be true.
Indeed, they let them in in and now the cost of policing em is mounting. Obviously an unsustainable expense in the long run but someone should have thought of that.
Indeed, they let them in in and now the cost of policing em is mounting. Obviously an unsustainable expense in the long run but someone should have thought of that.
But hang on a minute. Haven't any number of weak-headed politicians assured us that the Wannabe (and Actual) Terrorists "won't change the way we live" ?
But hang on a minute. Haven't any number of weak-headed politicians assured us that the Wannabe (and Actual) Terrorists "won't change the way we live" ?