Frightened France Folds for AQIM

French headlines today tell it all:

La gare Saint-Lazare évacuée après une fausse alerte
(St. Lazare Station Evacuated after False Alarm)

Otages du Sahel: Paris attend les exigences d'Aqmi
(Sahel Hostages: Paris Awaits AQIM's Demands)

L’Élysée prêt à negocier
(French Government Ready to Negotiate)

rfi.fr

France rightly fears an AQIM (Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb) attack after a French hostage was murdered in the Sahel last July following a daring yet unsuccessful French raid, the Eiffel Tower was closed after a (false) bomb threat two weeks ago, and another group of French workers was kidnapped just last week in Niger. 

AQIM is an expansion of the Al Qaeda franchise which developed out of an Algerian terrorist group. It has found a fertile recruiting ground in the lawless and economically-depressed Sahel (meaning ''edge'' or ''shore'' of desert).

AQIM is also involved in transnational narcotics trade to fund its operations.

Official denials to the contrary, if France again pays tribute to terrorists for seizing its nationals, expect more of the same. 

Unfortunately, the Sarkozy Administration is in the political doldrums and certainly does not need a hostage drama to remind les français of its perceived ineffectiveness.

A constant terror threat only complicates his portfolio of foreign policy challenges. 

Defeating terrorism is a test of wills. A rogue group in the African desert cannot be allowed to force France to fold before Islamic fascism. 

Conquering fear calls for facing it. 

***
If you need research from open sources in Spanish, French, or Portuguese and presented in a stylish English language report or a translation of documents in said languages to English, please contact Professor Winn at by sending an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation.