"To what purpose are powers limited, and to what purpose is that limitation committed to writing,
if these limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained?"
-- Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, 1803

Monday, September 06, 2004

You know the Minutemen and revolutionaries who took the two French journalists hostage, despite the fact that France is the most pro-Arab, pro-appeasement country in the world right now?  Well the Islamofascists, who were demanding that France rescind its ban on Muslim girls wearing headscarves to school, were probably surprised when the French told them that their demands would not be met.  So, what did they do?  They demanded cash, just like the criminal thugs they are.

A statement purportedly from the kidnappers of two French journalists held in Iraq has been posted on a website with a list of demands and a 48-hour deadline.

The “higher command” of the Islamic Army of Iraq, have reportedly demanded that there be a truce agreed with Osama bin Laden, that a pledge is taken not to get involved either militarily or commercially in Iraq, and that a $5 million ransom be paid within the next 48 hours.

The authenticity of the statement cannot yet be ascertained. A group of the same name sent video messages showing the hostages to the al-Jazeera television network.

Christian Chesnot and Malbrunot of Radio France Internationale and Le Figaro were taken hostage on August 20.

The Islamic Army of Iraq originally demanded that France change their law which bans headscarves in state schools.

A truce declared with Osama?  Haven’t the French already entered into a defacto truce?  Not to get militarily or commercially involved in Iraq?  Well, they’re not militarily involved, but Iraq owes them billions of dollars from the 1980s, when over half of all the military arms manufactured in France were for Saddam’s army, and now that the US and UK have done all the heavy lifting and heard work, France is going to want to get in and recoup some of that loss.  And the $5 million ransom?  If it means that this problem will go away, I could see those cowardly snail-eating bastards paying $50 million.