French nationals killed in drive-by shooting

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Two French nationals have been killed and a third wounded in a drive-by shooting in the restive Iraqi town of Fallujah, French foreign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous says.

Mr Ladsous says the French nationals were in Iraq working for US companies tasked with rebuilding infrastructure in and around the capital, Baghdad.

Diplomats say the group were driving in a convoy near Fallujah, west of the Iraqi capital, when their car broke down.

The occupants of a passing vehicle shot at the French men, killing two and wounding the third.

more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1021275.htm

[xchrom]

1. but the french are bad

and don't support us -- whare they doing working for u.s. companies?
the logic bushco wants the average american to swallow has a big sharp bone in it.
we're mad at the french -- but we got 'em workin for us in iraq.
and now they die for the lack of wmd's.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Reporters are "endangered" too - - "If you're not with us .. "

.
.
. "You're against us" < < < Junior's wisdom

So it's open season on anyone not "with" the Occupiers

That's what it's lookin' like :shrug:

[Paschall]

3. French media is filling its reports on these guys with...

...lots of talk about ex-French military personnel working for the US in Iraq--though no specifics on their military careers has been provided so far. (ON EDIT: At least one of the victims has now been identified as a former member of the French Navy.)

Officially the victims were employed by a French de-mining company (Geomines http://www.geomines.com/anglais/index-gb.html) on contract with the US to clear a 200+ kilometer path for reconstruction of a high-power electrical line. The press has been suggesting, however, that were really "rogue" veterans hired by the US as "security agents."

Geomines' website says all their de-mining personnel are ex-military.

[demdave]

4. Link?

[Paschall]

5. Sorry, demdave

I usually don't provide links to French media, thinking most people won't be able to read them.

Deux Français assassinés en Irak (snip)
"L'un d'entre eux, Jean-Jacques Tison, 37 ans, venait d'arriver le 2 janvier en Irak. Cet ancien plongeur démineur de la marine nationale travaillait pour la compagnie française Géomines, employée comme sous-traitant par la société américaine Steel chargée de remettre en état une ligne électrique de 230 km de long au nord de Bagdad."

http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=169530

The best on-line French sources are Libération and Le Monde

http://www.liberation.fr/
http://www.lemonde.fr/

More (my adaptation)...
"After yesterday's attack, Geomines has decided to step back and repatriate--at least temporarily--its 12 employees in Iraq. 'This unfortunate incident shows it is still very difficult to ensure security in Iraq,' said the manager of the French company. But Geomines is not unaccustomed to security problems, because it has experience working in Kuwait and Bosnia."