France marks soldiers deaths
- 12 years ago
Funeral services in France.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy honors three soldiers allegedly killed by the Toulouse gunman suspected of then shooting four more people in a killing spree in the name of al Qaeda.
The three soldiers were killed March 15 by a lone gunman on a scooter who a week later allegedly went on to kill three Jewish children and a rabbi.
Sarkozy addressed the nation
(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY SAYING:
"The death that our soldiers have met was not the one they were prepared for. It was not the death of the battle field but a terrorist execution"
An investigator said the gunman had planned to kill another soldier and two police officials before he was surrounded by police in an early morning raid on Wednesday.
(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY SAYING
"They were gunned down because they were French soldiers. They were gunned down because they were the French army. It is the French army that the killer targeted. And it is the French republic which was hurt. The target was the army of the republic."
Sarkozy, running for re-election has said France should not give way to discrimination or vengeance after the shootings. His warning came after far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a rival presidential candidate, said France should wage war on Islamic fundamentalism.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy honors three soldiers allegedly killed by the Toulouse gunman suspected of then shooting four more people in a killing spree in the name of al Qaeda.
The three soldiers were killed March 15 by a lone gunman on a scooter who a week later allegedly went on to kill three Jewish children and a rabbi.
Sarkozy addressed the nation
(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY SAYING:
"The death that our soldiers have met was not the one they were prepared for. It was not the death of the battle field but a terrorist execution"
An investigator said the gunman had planned to kill another soldier and two police officials before he was surrounded by police in an early morning raid on Wednesday.
(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY SAYING
"They were gunned down because they were French soldiers. They were gunned down because they were the French army. It is the French army that the killer targeted. And it is the French republic which was hurt. The target was the army of the republic."
Sarkozy, running for re-election has said France should not give way to discrimination or vengeance after the shootings. His warning came after far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a rival presidential candidate, said France should wage war on Islamic fundamentalism.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.