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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] Several pieces of information: I find an article from buzzflash (below) http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/11/con03329.html describing the NY times distorting information, and linking to an article in Le Monde. In the article is a link to Le Monde. http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3226,36-340478,0.html Translating: Several times in the past people have posted material, untranslated, in another language. I have discovered that Google has a language translation tool. By going to the Le Monde link, (in Windows 98 and Eudora, at least) clicking on the URL in the browser window, saying "copy" in the edit menu , and then going to Google translating service, one can paste that URL into the box and see the article in another language (like English). One can also paste text into the Google window. I mention this as a useful thing to know, and conveniently giving English speakers greater access to foreign-language material. Given the discrepencies between the Times article and what Le Monde reports, there seems to have been something more "lost in the translation" than in the Google translation. I recommend you check out the buzzflash website -- very nice. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*= from buzzflash *=*=*=*=*=*=*= November 5, 2003 <http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/11//contributors/archives.html>CONTRIBUTOR ARCHIVES Is the NYT Inventing Quotes Again? A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY BuzzFlash Preface: The internationally renowned French Paper Le Monde charges the New York Times with misquoting a French judge in order to write an "alarmist story," claiming that dozens of French Muslims have left to fight the Americans in Iraq. It should be noted by BuzzFlash that the NYT, in writing such a story, is following the Bush line that foreign terrorists are behind the attacks on American forces [<http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=395543§ion=news>LINK]. Of course, then there are U.S. military commanders that say this is not true. In fact, different Bush administration officials, on any given day, emphatically attribute the attacks to each of several different sources, then the next day change their minds. The Pentagon even refutes Bush's "foreign fighter" theory. [<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31535-2003Oct28.html>LINK] It's kind of like watching a dark comedy of a musical chairs blame game. It is a sign of the Bush Cartel's incompetence and ineptness that they don't seem to have a clue as to who is attacking our troops. * * * This is the New York Times article and characterization of Judge Bruguière's comments [<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/01/international/middleeast/01RECR.html>LINK]: "Signs of a movement to Iraq have also been detected in Europe. Jean-Louis Bruguière, France's top investigative judge on terrorism, said dozens of poor and middle-class Muslim men had left France for Iraq since the summer. He said some of them appeared to have been inspired by exhortations of Qaeda leaders, even if they were not trained by Al Qaeda. Mr. Bruguière, who earlier this year opened an investigation of young men leaving France to fight on the side of Muslims in Chechnya, said the traffic to Iraq was now a similar problem. He called the changing pattern 'a new threat.'" In any case, what's interesting about this Le Monde article (for those who don't read French), is that the French judge quoted by the NYT claims he never says what the NYT claims he said. Very interesting indeed... Apparently attempting to outline the invisible enemy ceaselessly harassing American soldiers, the November 1, 2003 NYT published an investigation on the "hundreds of jihad warriors" pouring into Iraq. From Europe and the Middle East supposedly in response to calls to face occupation force by Osama bin Laden and other islamic extremists. Quoting numerous anonymous sources among several European security services, the newspaper specifically cites the anti-terrorist Judge Jean-Louis Bruguière. According to him, dozens of militant islamists from poor and middle class backgrounds were said to have left France for Iraq over the last few months. Certain among them were said to have been inspired by Al Qaeda chiefs without having followed formal military training under their guidance. Interviewed by Le Monde on Monday November 3, Jean-Louis Bruguière questions the accuracy of remarks attributed to him: "We have no elements of information whatever to support a claim that dozens of French men have left to fight in Iraq," he explains. "All you can say is simply that Iraq is potentially attractive to radical muslims movements in Europe. This sentiment could eventually, transform [Iraq] into jihad territory because of the degradation and rottenness of the situation [under the occupation], but not to the extent that Afghanistan and Chechnya have been." * * * Here is the Le Monde article, in the original French: Jean-Louis Bruguière dément le départ de dizaines de Français en Irak [<http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3226,36-340478,0.html>LINK] LE MONDE | 03.11.03 | 13h31 • MIS A JOUR LE 03.11.03 | 17h23 Soucieux de préciser les contours de cet ennemi invisible qui harcèle sans répit les soldats américains, le New York Times a publié une enquête, samedi 1er novembre, sur les "centaines de combattants du djihad" qui afflueraient en Irak. Venus d'Europe et du Moyen-Orient, ils répondraient à l'appel d'Oussama Ben Laden et d'autres extrémistes islamistes pour affronter les forces d'occupation. Faisant référence à de nombreuses sources anonymes parmi les services de renseignement de plusieurs pays européens, le journal cite notamment le juge antiterroriste français Jean-Louis Bruguière. Selon lui, des dizaines de militants islamistes issus de milieux pauvres et des classes moyennes auraient quitté la France pour l'Irak ces derniers mois. Certains auraient été inspirés par les exhortations des chefs d'Al-Qaida, sans avoir forcément subi un entraînement militaire sous leur autorité. Interrogé, lundi 3 novembre, par Le Monde, Jean-Louis Bruguière conteste la teneur des propos qui lui sont attribués. "Nous ne disposons d'aucun élément d'information documenté sur des dizaines de Français qui seraient allés combattre en Irak, explique-t-il. On peut simplement dire que l'Irak est potentiellement attractif pour des islamistes radicaux de la mouvance européenne. Ça pourrait, à terme, devenir une terre de djihad à cause de la dégradation et du pourrissement de la situation sur place, mais pas au niveau de l'Afghanistan et de la Tchétchénie." A la direction de la surveillance du territoire (DST), on se montre également fort surpris par le ton alarmiste de l'article du New York Times et, en particulier, par le chiffre avancé concernant la France. Selon la DST, la mutation de l'Irak en nouvelle terre de djihad et en aimant pour les radicaux islamistes n'est qu'une crainte et une hypothèse. A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY <http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/11/#top>BACK TO TOP Articles in the BuzzFlash Contributor section are posted as-is. Given the timeliness of some Contributor articles, BuzzFlash cannot verify or guarantee the accuracy of every word. We strive to correct inaccuracies when they are brought to our attention. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= end buzzflash article *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Google translation of the Le Monde article =*=*=*=*=* Jean-Louis BruguiŠre lunatic the departure of tens of French in Iraq THE WORLD|03.11.03| 13h31 ? UPDATED 03.11.03|17h23 Anxious to specify contours of this invisible enemy who badgers without respite the American soldiers, the New York Times published an investigation, Saturday 1 er November, on the "hundreds of combatants of the djihad" who would flow to Iraq. From Europe and from the Middle East, they would answer the call of Oussama Ben Laden and other extremists islamists to face the occupying forces. Referring to many anonymous sources among the services of information of several European countries, the newspaper quotes in particular the judge French antiterrorist Jean-Louis BruguiŠre. According to him, tens of militants islamists resulting from poor mediums and middle class would have left France for Iraq these last months. Some would have been inspired by the exhortations of the heads of Al-Qaida, without to have inevitably undergone a military drive under their authority. Questioned, Monday November 3, by the World , Jean-Louis BruguiŠre disputes the content of the remarks which are allotted to him. "We do not have any data element documented on tens of French who would have gone to fight in Iraq, it explains. One can simply say that Iraq is potentially gravitational for radical islamists of European mobility. That could, in the long term, become a ground of djihad because of the degradation and the rotting of the situation on the spot, but not on the level of Afghanistan and Tch‚tch‚nie." With the direction of the monitoring of territory (DST), one shows oneself also extremely surprised by the alarmist tone of the article of the New York Times and, in particular, by the advanced figure concerning France. According to the DST, the change of Iraq in new ground of djihad and liking for the radicals islamists is only one fear and an assumption. During their investigations into the Beghal network, the project of attack in Strasbourg or the attack against the synagogue of Djerba, in Tunisia, the French services located or challenged many last islamists a time by Afghanistan, then directed by the talibans, or on a quite less level by Tch‚tch‚nie. Thus the French Djamel Loiseau was found died in the mountains of Tora Bora in December 2001. Before the war, other French had followed a military formation in the zone tribale between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Iraq is not, for the hour, such an accessible ground. Piotr Smolar ? ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN the EDITION OF The 04.11.03 _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk