2/3/2015

www.palestinechronicle.com/thesatireandthefauxreflectionsoncharliehebdo/?print=print

TheSatireandtheFaux:ReflectionsonCharlieHebdo
ByHaneulNaavi
ThemassacreofemployeesattheCharlieHebdoofficeinParishasfosteredgrowinganimositybetweenWesternersandtheMuslimworld.Innationalistrhetoric,thechampionsof
FrenchSecularityvowedtocheatthedeathoffreespeechandnevertobowtoterrorism,andtheagencyretaliatedwithrecordsalesofitspublication,withmoreinsultstotheProphet
Mohammed.
Nevertheless,thecountrydidbow,nottothedemandsofalQaedaofthePeninsula(AQAP),theYemenisectclaimingresponsibilityfortheattack.Seeingtheirgoldenopportunity,
Frenchgovernmentofficialscapitalizedontheassaultinordertoincrementallyimposeawaveofdraconianpoliciestostiflethefreedomsofitsowncitizens.
Shortly after the Je Suis Charlie demonstrations, French PM Manuel Valls openlyannounced the Republic would commission the creation of 2,680 new positions in French
militaryandintelligenceagenciestomonitorthepopulation,whichwouldcost425mlnEURoverthreeyears,andwouldrisecloseto735mlnEURafterpersonnelcosts.
ThebillpassedamidcondemnationoftherecentLawStrengtheningtheProvisionRelatingtotheFightagainstTerrorism,inwhichEUCounterterrorismCoordinatorGillesde
Kerchoveproclaimed[itstrucka]goodbalancebetweenthedemandsofinternalsecurityandrespectforindividualliberties.Thebill,passedintheFrenchParliamentlastOctober,
wouldbolstercurrentUKandGermanantiterrorinitiatives.
Thelaw,opposedbytheEuropeanDigitalRightsorganizationandothers,targetsterrorismviaantidemocraticmeasures[]basedonvagueconceptswhoseapplicationcaneasily
beextended,suchasapologieduterrorisme(apologyofterrorism),andthatrestricttherighttofreedomofmovement(art.1),freedomofthepress(art.4),freedomofinformation
andcommunication(art.9),theprotectionofjournalisticsources(art.11),therighttoafairtrial(art.13)orthataresimplydisproportionate(art.12,14),LaQuadratureduNet
stated.
The regional attacks were the perfect chance to implement this new law. Unpopular legislature, pushed by an equally unpopular President (currently 8% according to YouGov
statistics),achievedseveralaimsforthestrugglingfigurehead:(1)distractingthepublicfromeconomicandforeignpolicymisadventuresand(2)strengtheningsupportofthecurrent
administrationbynationalizingsentimentoftheFrenchpeople.Meanwhile,theCharlieHebdomassacresuspects,theKouachibrothers,andMalibornAmedyCoulibaly,theprime
suspectinthekoshersupermarketattack,revealstartlingconnections.
FranceslonghistorywithSyriagoesbacktotheFrancoSyrianWar,buttheiropenprocurementofweaponsandcashformoderaterebelsinSyriaandIraqformsthefoundationof
the current crisis. A London Guardian article detailed how Hollandes administration worked to remove Assad, and subsequently, warned about the consequences. Some of the
FrenchcashhasreachedIslamistgroupswhoweredesperatelyshortofammunitionandwhohadincreasinglyturnedforhelptowardsalQaidaalignedjihadistgroupsinandaround
Aleppo,Chulovwrites.
TheFrenchPresidentsdualimperativeoffundingrebelsinSyriaandLibya,butexpandingattacksoncurrentISmilitantsinIraq,hasincitedintenseangerfromIS.Francehas
suggestedthatrebelsshouldbegivendefensiveweaponstouseagainsttheregimeandwasthefirstcountrytorecognisearecalibratedpoliticalbodyasthelegitimatevoiceof[the]
Syrianpeople,thearticlecontinues.Theywereveritablysuccessful,asthatrecalibratedpoliticalbodyisnowtheIslamicStateanunrelentingenemywithrootsintheMujahideen
ShuraCouncilofIraq.
Shortlyaftertakingoffice,HollandpushedtoinvadeMalismineralrichterritoriesundertheruseoffightingterrorism.JustaftertheSarkozysLibyaninvasion,Hollandesteppedin
to extrapolate Frances imperialist agenda. Using the same tactics as in Syria, France, the US, and UK backed the Salafist, Tuareg alQaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM), to
overthrowJamahiriyaleaderMuammarGaddafi.AsadIsmiwritesextensivelyaboutthisoccurrence:
AQIMiscloselyalliedtotheLibyanIslamicFightingGroup(LIFG),themainproxyusedbyFrance,theUnitedStates,andBritainintheiroverthrowoftheGaddafiregimeinLibya.
TheAQIMmilitantsfoughtalongsideLIFG.Currently,FranceandtheU.S.arealsoarmingandfinancingIslamicfundamentalistsinSyriatooverthrowtheseculargovernmentof
HafezAlAssad.
WhilewarnedofrefusingtocooperatewithSyriaorIran,HollandehasdeployedtheCharlesdeGaulleaircraftcarrierinordertofollowuponrecentaerialassaultsonIStargetsin
northeasternIraq.IraqiandShiiteclericGrandAyatollahAlialSistanissanctioningoftheWesternbackedinterventionhascausedfurtherresentmentamongsttheIslamicStates
Sunnimembers.
ThefailuresandinertiaofFrancesintelligencecommunitypracticallyfosteredtheattack,astheyfailedtoinitiatebasicprotocolsforproperlymonitoringriskysecurityassets.The
KouachibrothershadtraveledtoYementomeetCIAassetAnwaralAwlakiin2011,threeyearsafterCherifwasreleasedfromFleuryMrogisprisonexpertsclaimthatthiswas
whatincitedtheirradicalization.ATelegrapharticleevidencesthattheyhadbeenmonitoredsincespring2009andthatFrenchauthoritiesstoppedthesurveillanceinJulyjustsix
monthsbeforetheParisattacksbecausetheyweredeemedtobeoflowrisk.
Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan opportunistically admonished France for failing to properly monitor the suspects. In a Jan. 17 speech, he harshly condemned the breakdown in
intelligenceefforts.Thesepeopleserved1617monthsinyourprisons.Whydidntyoufollowthesepeopleaftertheygotoutofjail?Isntyourintelligenceworking?First,these
countriesshouldcheckthemselves,remarkedthePM,whomisalsoguiltyofcoddlingISinsurgents.
Frances tragic deaths were not simply payback for Charlie Hebdos satire of the Prophet, but symbolically reflected the anger of victims of Frances imperial ambitions and
deterioratingdomesticsituation.Victimsofaggressiononbothendswillrequiredeep,reflectivemeditationtomendtheirtroubledpassions,andfortheFrenchRepublicandother
Europeanleaders,theymusttakeastepbackfromtheirowndarkpastinordertoilluminatethetruth.
HaneulNaaviisoneofthefounders,writers,andradiohostsfortheblogTheLastDefense.HehasstudiedhisBAandMAinEnglishLiterature,andwhilelivinginChinaand
SouthKoreaforthelastsixyears,hestudiedMiddleEastandAfricanPoliticsattheHankukUniversityofForeignStudiesinSeoul,SouthKorea,andChineseatFudanUniversityin
Shanghai,China.HecontributedthisarticletoPalestineChronicle.com.

http://www.palestinechronicle.com/thesatireandthefauxreflectionsoncharliehebdo/?print=print

1/1