UNITED NATIONS, September 19 -- When French Defense Minister Herve Morin came to the UN on September 17, Inner City Press asked him about his country's proposed sale of Mistral ships to Russia. Morin began with a long answer about Russia's changes since 1989, calling for a change of “mental paradigm.” Video here, from Minute 14:42.
When Inner City Press asked as a follow up, “What about the war with Georgia?” Morin replied dismissively, can we imagine that “the sale of a few vessels can significantly change the balance of force between Georgia and Russia?” Yes, we can.
Inner City Press asked about France's declared war on Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Morin mentioned Mauritania, Mali and Niger and spoke of “400 to 500 fanatical fighters,” saying that France will take then on. Some wondered why France does not focus on the similarly sized Lord's Resistance Army in the Congo, CAR and South Sudan.
Footnote: Morin, French reporters tell Inner City Press, came to New York with an entourage of 24, in the process of announcing his new political party to challenge President Sarkozy (who has been in New York this weekend visiting his son now that his previous wife has moved to New York with Richard Attias, the French reporters say.)
It was surprising, then, that Morin declined to answer a reporters reflexive question about Sarkozy's crack down on the Roma, saying instead that neither US officials nor Ban Ki-moon had raised it. If the burning of a Koran could put US soldiers at risk, how not the expulsion of the Roma? Inner City Press has requested access to various French mission events this week, to get the answers and France's side of the story: watch this site.
