At football games all over America there was a moment of silence - in Ann Arbor and on many college campuses there was a memorial with candles lit for each victim and France in general - they apparently sang the Marsellaise (sp?).

We are all in this together like it or not.

Belgium is being called a 'weak link' in this war on terrorism just being said by some French officials. Belgium needs to step up too if not with troops or planes better surveillance of its many - more per capita I guess number of Moslem residents who have gone to Syria and back.

PalenQ - I think it's not necessary to blame Belgium for the terrorist attacks in Paris, because there were a number of factors in play - and still are.

Political experts are blaming the entire notion of the Schengen system.

fuzz - I was saying what CNN was saying President Hollande said - he blamed it on Belgium if CNN is right - it is certainly not all their fault but seems to be a large part of it - countries must work together and really abolish borders when espionage is done.

Me I don't know and if I sounded like I were blaming Belgium I was wrong as I just do not know - just what they were saying and what President Hollands allegedly said.

I think CNN may have got that thing about Hollande saying that wrong as I can't find any link to it. Now I'll take the blame for that.

I would imagine that Hollande said something along the lines that the planning of this attack took place in Belgium. That is not at all the same as saying that Belgium is at fault, even though we can always say that maybe they could have done a better job. <b>Everybody</b> could have done a better job, as we back seat drivers and hindsight specialists like to say.

Yes though CNN said that I think they got it wrong and have not heard it again. George W Bush and Cheney and Runsfeld are the real folks to blame IMO.

along with blame to the U.K. and Tony Blair of course - those are the real culprits whose short sightedness and outright lies launched the revival of Arab/Moslem terrorism. France remember was tarred and feathered for not being a 'member of the willing' in the 2nd gulf war which caused all the destruction of previously stable secular states, along with the Arab Spring.

Remember French fries were banned from the U.S. Capitol dining areas and the great anti-French feeling Bush et all promoted - ironically of course french fries refers to the type of cooking not France as those idiots claimed.

Paris is now reaping the worst of Cheney and Bush and Blair's illegal senseless war.

This blame game is ridiculous! You might as well go WAY back and blame Richard the Lionhearted and the Crusades

Might be ridiculous to you but anyone who knows anything about the cause can put the immediate blame on Cheney and ilk - as Colin Powell gave in his Pottery Barn analogy - you break it you pay for it and man and woman how we all in the so-called west are paying for it with blood and guts of innocent folk here but let's not forget the hundreds of thousands needlessly killed as an immediate result of that war.

And many predicted just that and that's perhaps why the French stayed out and now ironically they bear the brunt for the time being.

Wash it over and it will happen again - bring Cheney and ilk to the World Court for war crimes and these things may not happen again. If an African potentate would have done similar in AFrica we'd hall him in but when are own do it well...on falsified evidence.

PQ STOP IT! This is a thread about Paris and what is happening there. Take your political rants to the Lounge . . . .

This is not the time nor place . . . .

Absolutely agree with janisj. Assessing blame at this point and on this thread is neither productive nor appropriate.

For those in Paris please continue to keep us informed. We are very much saddened by this act of terrorism and our thoughts and prayers are with you.

This is a tragic event and now is the time for all to support the French. We have our 2nd trip to France planned for December 12th (took one in August this year) and we plan to be there. We will be cautious, but this tragedy just reminds us that we should always be cautious.

Vive la France!!!

It's interesting and positive to see posters willing to visit France in support.

Following the terrorist attack on the beaches of Sousse and the missile attack on the Russian plane leaving Sharm el Sheikh both Tunisia and Eygpt have suffered dramatic falls in visitor numbers.

Really. Politics. By experts. How interesting.
Should we not wait for the 3 days of national mourning before starting redesigning the world.

for those interested I posted my exp in Paris today.

I just looked at the seat map for my flight on Wednesday and it is ⅓ empty. Previously it was close to full. Sadly I'm sure Paris will suffer a tourist downturn.

If possible I would fly to Paris for a few days. I'm certain that for the time being there is no safer city in Europe.


pariswat, I did read your post. Thanks.

>>Really. Politics. By experts. How interesting.
Should we not wait for the 3 days of national mourning<<

Agree!! But as I posted earlier, Jeb Bush put partial blame on Obama within hours after the attack. Maybe that's why his poll numbers are falling.

Stu Dudley

<I just looked at the seat map for my flight on Wednesday and it is ⅓ empty. Previously it was close to full. Sadly I'm sure Paris will suffer a tourist downturn.>

Our flight last night from Lisbon to CDG was half full, even though it was fully booked just a day before the attacks when I checked the seat map.

Stu - since neither Jeb OR Obama are posting here -- this thread is no place to hash out partisan political crap.

They haven't even buried (or even identified) all the dead yet . . .

Says you, janisj. I didn't find Stu's post to be anywhere near as offensive as your sanctimonious crap.
<They haven't even buried (or even identified) all the dead yet . . .>
Shame on you.

By this inane measure, I suppose no one should be saying or doing a thing without running it past you first.