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France Convicts Terror Suspects

In a country that has a sizeable Muslim population authorities achieved a major conviction this week in a case which revealed plans for scores of terrorist attacks that were luckily prevented. The country is France, and the 25 would-be Islamic terrorists were convicted this week of plotting to attack the world-famous Eiffel Tower, the Halles shopping center, French police stations as well as Israeli interests in the French Republic. Their attacks were to have been in support of Chechen rebels fighting Russian troops (with the Chechens themselves carrying out more than a few terrorist attacks) in 2001-2002.

According to reports released by French police, investigators conducting anti-terror raids discovered "gas canisters, fuses and a chemical protection suit in the northern Paris suburbs of La Corneuve and Romainville? when they arrested the men. Supposedly, the men received terrorist training in Afghanistan or even in Chechnya itself, the breakaway Russian region in the Caucasus which has been the focus of Russian anti-terror operations for many years now and sparked international concern over Russian treatment of Chechen civilians during war-time operations.

While some news agencies reported that all 25 men were convicted of direct terror ties, 24 were convicted of ?criminal association in relation with a terrorist enterprise? while one was convicted of using false papers. In a disturbing sign that France is treating it?s version of the war on terror like a legal fight rather than an actual war where terrorists are trying to kill innocent people, most of the defendants received relatively light sentences of 8-to-10 years, while a small number only received a few months.