WOW: Saudi crown prince received a French honor for "countering extremism & fighting terrorism.”

[Blackmoon]

Oil can do many things...

France has been accused of devaluing its highest national honour after the Legion of Honour was quietly awarded to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on a visit to Paris.

The French government was among the most vocal outside the Middle East in its condemnation of Saudi mass executions earlier this year, calling the kingdom’s killing of 47 people “deeply deplorable”.

Yet almost two months to the day after that statement was issued, President François Hollande awarded his nation’s most prestigious award to the heir to the Saudi throne, Prince Mohammed bin Naif.

The Crown Prince’s visit to the Elysee Palace actually took place on Friday 4 March, the same day as Mr Hollande held talks with Angela Merkel about how to cope with the refugee crisis.
But while Ms Merkel’s trip featured in a number of videos and photos posted online by the Elysee social media team, any reference or evidence of the Saudi delegation was conspicuously absent.

That the Prince even received the award was only confirmed by Mr Hollande’s entourage on Sunday afternoon. Officials sought to play it down, telling Le Monde it was “common protocol” to issue visiting dignitaries with the honour.

But while in France the decoration was done, as media outlets put it, “with discretion”, the government-owned Saudi news agencySPA hailed the honour as recognition for the prince’s “great efforts in the region and world for combating extremism and terrorism”.

The Legion of Honour was founded by Napoleon in 1802, and is regarded as among the first and most prestigious modern orders of merit in the world.

If you interested read the rest here :
Francois Hollande 'quietly' awards France's highest honour to visiting Saudi Crown Prince | Europe | News | The Independent

 

[jammersat]

LoL , if you translate it into french they have got it right ! Lololololol

 

[Ceylal]

 

[jammersat]

 

[Old School]

This is funny. What about Nobel peace prize ?

 

[Vergennes]

Oil can do many things...

France has been accused of devaluing its highest national honour after the Legion of Honour was quietly awarded to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on a visit to Paris.

The French government was among the most vocal outside the Middle East in its condemnation of Saudi mass executions earlier this year, calling the kingdom’s killing of 47 people “deeply deplorable”.

Yet almost two months to the day after that statement was issued, President François Hollande awarded his nation’s most prestigious award to the heir to the Saudi throne, Prince Mohammed bin Naif.

The Crown Prince’s visit to the Elysee Palace actually took place on Friday 4 March, the same day as Mr Hollande held talks with Angela Merkel about how to cope with the refugee crisis.
But while Ms Merkel’s trip featured in a number of videos and photos posted online by the Elysee social media team, any reference or evidence of the Saudi delegation was conspicuously absent.

That the Prince even received the award was only confirmed by Mr Hollande’s entourage on Sunday afternoon. Officials sought to play it down, telling Le Monde it was “common protocol” to issue visiting dignitaries with the honour.

But while in France the decoration was done, as media outlets put it, “with discretion”, the government-owned Saudi news agencySPA hailed the honour as recognition for the prince’s “great efforts in the region and world for combating extremism and terrorism”.

The Legion of Honour was founded by Napoleon in 1802, and is regarded as among the first and most prestigious modern orders of merit in the world.

If you interested read the rest here :
Francois Hollande 'quietly' awards France's highest honour to visiting Saudi Crown Prince | Europe | News | The Independent

This is funny. What about Nobel peace prize ?

This is a shame that now the Légion d'honneur is given like candies.....

It rewarded, from its origins, the military or civilians for their service rendered to the nation.

 

[azzo]

This reward is beneath him, he's a more fighter of terrorism than France would ever be. I hope he defiles it and flush it down the toilet.

 

[Ceylal]

The head of the French state and the Saudi crown prince set March 4, 2016.Picture: AFP


The publication of diplomatic emails give the impression that Paris has complied without hesitation to a request from Riyadh.

Interviewed after the broadcast of the women's monthly "Causette" of these exchanges between French diplomats, the French authorities have neither denied nor confirmed their content, refusing to comment.

France maintains very close relations with Saudi Arabia, it presents as an important ally in Syria in the fight against the Islamic State (EI), and with which it has concluded major arms contracts.

Officially, French officials assure about the issue of human rights with their Saudi counterparts at every opportunity, but realpolitik in French appears under a very bright light with the case of the Legion of Honour.

Saudi request

It emerges from the written reproduced by the Causette magazine that is at the request of Saudi Arabia that the award was presented March 4 in secret to Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the latter wishing to "strengthen its international stature".

The crown prince is also the interior minister of his country, where, in 2015, 153 people were executed, according to a count based on official figures Saudi. Its highest level for 20 years in Saudi Arabia, ultraconservative kingdom governed by a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

"I know that some are questioning whether now decorate the crown prince (...) Certainly, the kingdom is not good news," wrote the ambassador of France in Riyadh in an email sent to advisers at the Elysee and the Quai d'Orsay and mentioned bythe magazine Causette .

"No reason not to do it: it has to be discreet vis-à-vis the media, but without dissimulation," he was he replied in an email attributed to manager North Africa / Middle East Quai d ' Orsay.

a snub

"If we do not, it will be seen as a snub, and, if one asks us, we will respond fight against Daech (Arabic acronym for EI, note) and economic and strategic partnership. Let us add, for good measure, the human rights elements in the course language elements, "he continues.

The decision to decorate Mohammed bin Nayef is taken a few hours later, after the green light from President François Hollande , according to other e-mail exchanges with his advisor for the Middle East.

A familiar diplomatic circles emphasizes that French diplomats have on their computer a function to encrypt their writings, but that in this case "it does not appear to have been done."

The awarding of the Legion of Honour in Saudi official was held on 4 March at the Elysée Palace. The French Presidency has confirmed that on March 6. Meanwhile, the Saudi news agency SPA had reported.

With the revelation of this event, critics have blended with the political right and left and on social networks, given the record of human rights in Saudi Arabia.

diplomatic tradition

The Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has tried to defuse the controversy by invoking "diplomatic tradition" and a ceremony had "nothing solemn," although he said "understand" the negative reactions ( listen to his interview on France Inter below).


Besides its record on human rights, the Kingdom is also criticized for the war in Yemen, or its role in the spread of the Wahhabi ideology in the world.

There are less than two weeks, the European Parliament voted by a large majority a resolution calling for an embargo on arms supplies to Saudi Arabia, criticizing its airstrikes in Yemen and the maritime blockade imposed on that country, made "thousands of dead."

The Legion of Honour is awarded each year to about 3,000 people, including 400 foreigners. Other discounts of the Legion of Honour, including Vladimir Putin in 2006 and head of espionage against Moroccan abdellatif hammouchi in 2015, have already sparked protests in the past. (Ats / nxp)

France compensated our efforts
We thank France for surrendering to us her suburbs, institutions, luxury hotels, beaches, soccer teams, politicians and for cheering at each time we spread mayhem in the world..

Controverse: Les emails validant la Légion d'honneur dévoilés - Monde - tdg.ch

 

[Donald Trump]

Lol!