Vladimir Putin’s description of the western military intervention in Libya as a sort of “crusade” has provoked much criticism, including here on the Tatler blog and including even criticism from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. But, yesterday, French Interior Minister Claude Guéant talked about the intervention in precisely these terms. On the French online political talk show Talk Orange – Le Figaro, Guéant said literally that French President Nicolas Sarkozy was “leading a crusade” to stop Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.
French Interior Minister Claude Guéant on "Talk Orange – Le Figaro"
Asked about the intervention and its conformity with Security Council resolution 1973, Guéant took the opportunity to defend Sarkozy from his domestic critics. This is what he said:
Regarding the criticisms that have been made of the President…, now everyone realizes that we are fortunate that he [Sarkozy] was there. The whole world was getting ready to watch massacres committed by Gaddafi on the television. Fortunately, the President took the lead of the crusade, in order to mobilize the United Nations, and then also the Arab League, and the African Union.
The full interview is available here. The relevant passage is between 10:15 and 10:35 of the clip. Incidentally, as reported by France’s national wire service, the AFP, the African Union has called for an immediate stop to the joint Franco-British-American military action against Libya.
The ‘crusade’ he’s referring to is the diplomatic fight in New York to get the UN resolution approved, NOT the combat operations in Libya, it’s very clear from the script.
Guéant is not very bright, he’s an ex-police chief, but even he has heard about the crusades, even if only thro Mr Putin’s jibe.
Using the c-word in a context of middle-east conflict is pure provocation, in direct line with Mr Sarkozy’s efforts to get some meagre international recognition, because at home his credit ran out years ago.
The angle he has chosen is the “christian roots” of France,and by extension, of all those other insignificant countries we call “Europe.”
His Hero G.W. Bush often used this word.
Guéant, like all of the other spokesmen/ministers, is just echoing His Master’s Voice.
The only chance Sarkozy has of being re-elected : a war. This is his only motivation.
BTW, re. MR’s comment, it was so “clear” that Guéant was *only* talking about the diplomatic “crusade” that Le Figaro in its own article on the interview did not even bother to include the additional context that I included above. In the article in Le Figaro, Guéant is quoted as follows: “Fortunately, the President took the lead of the crusade.” Full-stop. Do a Google search on “Guéant relativise les résultats du Parti socialiste” and you will find the article. But perhaps MR believes that the editors of Le Figaro don’t speak French or want to misrepresent the content of their own talkshow. In any case, since the diplomatic “crusade” was to obtain authorisation for the military one, this is a distinction without a difference or that, more exactly, makes no difference.
P.S. My first sentence in #3 above is sarcastic. My “off-sarcasm” tag somehow disappeared when I posted…
For us, it is not acceptable. We can not stand to hear this word “crusade”. The meaning of this crusade is more than you thought.
Crusaders were brutal and only bringing tears and plague to our land. they were bunch of christian men who were killing any muslims on their way including children and women just for the sake of their “God”. Even when they run out of food, they were making cannibalism by eating muslim. (I know it is unbelievable, sad but true)This is why we are alergic to this word.