France, Under Fire on Roma & from Al Qaeda, Hides from the Press at UN

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 21 -- With confirmation that the French uranium workers in Niger abducted last Thursday are being held by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, recent French hijinx at the United Nations are increasingly being questioned.

Two months before this UN General Debate, France's former diplomat Douste Blazy was exposed, including by this publication, for siphoning off $11 million in UNITAID funds to raise a mere $200,000. Still, Douste Blazy appears in this week's MDG Summit.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy was in New York for three days, including his speech Monday to the Summit, but he did not hold any media availabilities with the UN press corps.

Sources say Sarkozy wanted to avoid the inevitable questions about his policy of expelling Romas or gypsies from France. Previously, Sarkozy held a "French only" press conference at the UN, excluding even a Francophone Lebanese reporter for lack of a French passport.

A day before Sarkozy, French Defense Minister Herve Morin came to the UN. In light of the previous day's kidnappings in Niger, Inner City Press specifically asked Morin about his country's war on Al Qaeda, leading to the military action along with Mauritanian troops against northern Mali in July. Video here, from Minute 14:42.

Morin told the Press, that “France is determined to combat Al Qaeda... France is committed to combat this cancer which has invaded the Sahara.” He said France trained troops in Mauritania, Mali and Niger to fight “four to five hundred fanatics.”

Now the five French hostages have been taken from Niger into Mali. France is flying surveillance planes over the desert. Even in New York, the security seems to be high.

French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, who claims he almost quit over the Roma issue, will host a reception Friday night at the French facility on Fifth Avenue and 79th Street. Even journalists who questioned Morin are not invited, or are specifically dis-invited. Is it fear for security, or fear of questions? Watch this site.

At UN, Morin of France Dismisses Georgia on Mistrals, Dodges Roma Question

By Matthew Russell Lee

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.