France War on an Elusive Enemy

Chirac denounces terrorism as Paris keeps a siegelike vigil

French Premier Jacques Chirac did not mince words. Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, his voice rising with scorn and anger, he denounced the "leprosy of terrorism" that has become a "systematic weapon of a war that knows no borders or seldom has a face." There were those, said Chirac, who sought to excuse terrorism as a legitimate response to oppression, but such odious methods "rule out our confusing those actions with genuine resistance."

Chirac's sharp rhetoric last week reflected French indignation over the brutal wave of terrorist bombings in Paris that have left nine dead...

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