CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Typical French Capitulation

Janaka Yagirala

To: Francois Danel,
Executive Director,
Action Contre la Faim (ACF) (aka Action against Hunger)

Dear Francois,

This is with regard to your statement to Reuters regarding ACF quitting Sri Lanka (http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSL16377677). The tone of this statement above all seems to malign the security forces currently engaged in (and in the process of winning) a war against a cowardly terrorist outfit known as the LTTE.

Over the years, the French are famed for their capitulation which has made the French Army (aka The Army of Surrender) the receiving end of all jokes. Starting from Vercingétorix surrendering to invading Julius Caesar in 52 BCE, to Emperor Napoleon III surrendering to invading Otto Von Bismark in 1871 (around 470,000 French troops surrendered!), Philippe Pétain surrendering to the Nazis to infamous Bien Dien Phu of the first Indo-China war. I guess when it comes to LTTE terrorism, its no exception.

What is most pathetic is the continual accusation of the SL armed forces despite the investigation. Just remember that it’s the Nordic (White Tiger) “monitors” (LTTE fan club) who say it was the SL forces who did so. Think of it in this perspective, what would be the motive for doing so? What would the SL forces gain by killing 17 aid workers? One the other hand the LTTE have a lot to gain, the propaganda it generates goes for miles. Being the butchers they are its most likely the LTTE who did this and whom your statements seem to support.

Before calling for an international investigation, there are some matters to be solved.

First, have an international investigation probe into the Bloody Rampage of Saigon of September 22, 1945. During this rampage, 1400 French troops who had surrendered to the Japanese (as usual) during WW2, went on a rampage after experiencing the first light of freedom thanks to the British. During the rampage members of the Viet Minh as well as countless innocent non-combatant women and children were killed.

Second, have outsiders look into the environmental effects of French nuclear tests in Algeria (1960-1966) and Tahiti (1966-1996). I’d suggest re-stationing yourselves there once you leave SL to help out with the radiation sickness it has caused.

Third, remember the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in 1985? I’d say give your condolences to the living family of Fernando Pereira, the Portuguese photographer who drowned while trying to rescue his photographic equipment (his livelihood!) from the sinking Rainbow Warrior which was sunk by French Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE) agents while moored in Auckland. Again, lets have outsiders conduct a thorough investigation on this.

In 1996, French commandos showed their gallantry and bravery by storming the Rainbow Warrior II near Tahiti. Was it carrying weapons, explosives, narcotics or contraband? No! Just peaceful protesters against French nuclear tests! Hope this warrants an investigation as well.

Fourth, was there any investigation into the brutal beating of environmentalist David McTaggart in 1972 by the French military personnel?

Finally, I (along with all patriotic citizens of SL) would like you (or at least ACM) to disprove the French surrender stereotype and condemn the LTTE for all its brutal acts on innocent civilians once and for all. Only then will you be able to salvage something from your public relations Berezina/Waterloo (remember what happened to Napoleon there?) in Sri Lanka.

Yours Truly,

Janaka Yagirala

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