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French army chief resigns after shooting incident - Europe, World - The Independent

French army chief of staff General Bruno Cuche resigned today after a soldier fired live ammunition instead of blanks at a weekend military show and injured 17 people, the presidential office said.

President Nicolas Sarkozy had pledged to react rapidly and severely and to seek explanations from the army.

"The President, the head of the armies, has accepted the resignation presented by army General Bruno Cuche, head of the land army," said a statement from Sarkozy's office.

Cuche answers to a higher-ranking officer in charge of the overall armed forces. Sarkozy is the ultimate head of the armed forces in France.

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jul 1st, 2008 at 03:42:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
with interest (when I get access to it), as they were talking last week about how Sarkozy was furious about the top generals in the army being deeply unhappy about his proposed 'reforms' (the troops cuts, plus joining NATO with no conditions), and about the article published by Le Figaro, where (anonymous) generals criticized the plan violently.

The chief of the army was suspected of writing or inspiring it, so this may be payback time.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Jul 1st, 2008 at 06:09:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Extremely informative on the subject of the French army is the blog of Libération (!!!) journalist Jean Dominique Merchet.

Apparently Sarkozy pointed to him and said, "you are all amateurs, not professionals !" and didn't say hello to any soldier present.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Tue Jul 1st, 2008 at 06:50:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Last week's Canard mentioned Général Georgelin, chief of staff (ie Cuche's boss). Cuche wasn't mentioned.

But it's a very high-ranking head (Cuche) to chop off for this incident. It certainly feels like there are ulterior motives.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 at 02:13:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Sarko is apparently doing to the army what the right wing has been doing to the rest of the public service for years. He was extremely rough in his reaction to the accident (compare to the very mild way he reacts to police bavures). Also, this comes right after the publication of the plan to downsize the army massively - and subsequent criticism of the plan by military top brass. He is behaving more and more like Rumsfeld...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Tue Jul 1st, 2008 at 06:41:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Interesting angle, the Rumsfeld comparison.  You have me thinking of Sarkozy as the entire Bush Administration rolled into one miscreant.  The instability that would result surely can't last long.  

Any French care to comment on just what it would take to force Sarkozy to step down?  What kind of scandal would be simply TOO MUCH for the electorate?

by paving on Tue Jul 1st, 2008 at 07:27:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think the French electorate is apathetic enough not to be willing to take out the guillotine, and that's what it'd take for Sarkozy to step down.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Tue Jul 1st, 2008 at 07:34:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think as an egoist that it will take some kind of personal humiliation to bring him down.  Things like him snapping at the "help" are helpful.  He seems like he could just flip out but it does not appear he has a history in that area...complete looni-ness I mean.  Unfortunately the first manifestations thereof rarely occur at his age.  Then again, absolute power and the achievement of all his aspirations might leave him  grasping at unsatisfied straws...
by paving on Tue Jul 1st, 2008 at 08:48:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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