[spectre] news from France

Sat, 22 Sep 2001 21:01:29 +0200

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Dear Spectres,
The town of Toulouse, south-west France, was shaken yesterday by a
still-to-be-explained explosion that occurred in a major chemicals plant,
AZF, a holding of petrochemical magnate company TotalFinaElf, killing at
least 19 people and injuring at least 658 (third degree burns in many
cases), according to this morning’s figures in Libération). Approximately
fifty missing persons recorded so far and the death toll will clearly rise.
The town was shaken by the blast, all communications links were lost for
most of the day, and a toxic ammonium cloud crossed the city for several
hours before « natural » dispersal. Toulouse’s exponential growth has led to
a very high concentration of chemicals, gases, and explosives installations
(classed « Seveso » according to a somewhat idiosyncratic classification
system for hazardous industrial sites). Yesterday’s explosion occurred on
one of the Garonne river banks, a major explosives complex being housed just
opposite, on the other bank. Official reports allude to a « mishandling
accident », though the scale of this « accident » is quite disturbing and
needs to be further elucidated. We’re obviously a very far cry from Bhopal’s
seven thousand Union Carbide dead. But Toulouse’s infrastructures (in
addition to petrochemicals, this town also houses France’s major aerospace
installations) make it a pretty worrying case for accidents of this kind. As
does the Rhone Valley’s deadly mix of chemicals and nuclear plants which
stud the old Roman via staked across Gaul by Cesar et al. Whatever evidence
ultimately emerges as to causes (and of course there's a good chance we'll
never know), Le Pen and other right wing leaders are jumping onto the
terrorist bandwagon - an opportunity not to be missed with next year's
presidential elections.

More « local » news : Algiers is turning the international taliban hunt to
its own ends, justifying the military regime’s violence in civilian
environments as legitimate attacks against fundamentalists. This is nice
timing for the regime, which is in hot water at the moment with a number of
revelations from ex-military protesting against excessive and indiscriminate
and ultimately ineffectual uses of violence to purportedly restore peace and
cohesion…

A number of French-translated Palestinian accounts are seeping through -
from persons who have repeatedly and long and unambiguously condemned all
forms of terrorism - of heavy Israelian offensive actions in Ramallah, going
obliviously unnoticed in these manichean times. Heavy reading and steadily
growing death tolls. But I guess this is coming through many other channels
as well.

Fear and loathing in many places. London earlier this week was eery; bureaux
are being set up by and for victims of racist attacks. I guess you're seeing
this at close hand, Honor. After recent bouts of racist violence in England,
post-New York tension makes certain communities increasingly easy picking. A
friend's friend's nose got busted here the other night. Doesn't help to be
the wrong colour after hours in certain parts of the town.

Walking back along the Canal de l'Ourcq tonight after seeing Tanovic's No
Man's Land, winding through the autumn crowds playing petanque on the sand
stretches not contaminated with dog shit. Chinese, Arab, black African, East
European... the usual mix for this neck of the woods. Kind of a relief to
feel it again after uncosmopolitan French provinces, even though getting
here meant being holed up last night for three hours in a stationary
Paris-bound TGV with some kind of problems - there's a lot of tension here
these days. It was full of soldier trainees from the sous-officier training
camp at Saint Maixant. Bragging drunkenly about everybody being on the move
by the end of the year. Eastward. On verra bien.

saturday night special, hope everybody's ok, hey Andreas, Inke, any way we
can find out who we're all talking to these days? I really have no idea,
'twould be nice to see who's in this space. can't some desperately
underemployed virtual majordomo tell me, if it's too much of a chore for
humans? only problem is that some human's gonna have to explain to me what
orders to give to that poor bored majordomo...

Kia ora

sjn

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<DIV>Dear Spectres,=20
The town of =
Toulouse<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>, south-west France,&nbsp;was shaken =
yesterday=20
by a still-to-be-explained explosion that occurred in a major chemicals =
plant,=20
AZF, a holding of petrochemical magnate company TotalFinaElf, killing at =
least=20
19 people and injuring at least 658 (third degree burns in many cases),=20
according to this morning&#8217;s figures in Lib=E9ration). =
Approximately fifty missing=20
persons recorded so far and the death =
toll will=20
clearly rise. The town was shaken by the blast, all =
communications links=20
were lost for&nbsp;most&nbsp;of =
the day,=20
and a toxic ammonium cloud crossed the city for several hours before=20
=AB&nbsp;natural&nbsp;=BB dispersal. Toulouse&#8217;s exponential growth =
has led to a very=20
high concentration of chemicals, gases, and explosives installations =
(classed=20
=AB&nbsp;Seveso&nbsp;=BB according to a somewhat idiosyncratic =
classification system=20
for hazardous industrial sites). Yesterday&#8217;s explosion occurred on =

one&nbsp;of the Garonne river =
bank<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>s, a major explosives complex being=20
housed&nbsp;just opposite, on =
the other=20
bank. Official reports allude to a =AB&nbsp;mishandling =
accident&nbsp;=BB, though=20
the scale of this =AB&nbsp;accident&nbsp;=BB is quite disturbing and =
needs to be=20
further elucidated. We&#8217;re&nbsp;obviously=20
a&nbsp;very far cry from =
Bhopal&#8217;s=20
seven thousand&nbsp;Union Carbide=20
dead.&nbsp;But =
Toulouse&#8217;s=20
infrastructures (in addition to petrochemicals, this town also houses =
France&#8217;s=20
major aerospace installations) make it a pretty worrying case =
for&nbsp;accidents=20
of this kind. As does the Rhone =
Valley&#8217;s=20
deadly mix of chemicals and nuclear plants which stud the old =
Roman&nbsp;<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>via&nbsp;staked across Gaul&nbsp;by=20
Cesar&nbsp;et al.<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001> Whatever evidence ultimately emerges as to =
causes (and=20
of course there's a good chance we'll never know), Le Pen and other =
right wing=20
leaders are jumping onto the terrorist bandwagon - an opportunity not to =
be=20
missed with next year's&nbsp;presidential elections.
More =
=AB&nbsp;local&nbsp;=BB news&nbsp;:=20
Algiers is turning the international taliban hunt to its own ends,=20
justifying&nbsp;the military =
regime&#8217;s=20
violence in&nbsp;civilian environments as legitimate attacks against=20
fundamentalists. This is nice timing for the regime, which is in hot =
water at=20
the moment with a number of revelations from ex-military protesting =
against=20
excessive and indiscriminate and ultimately ineffectual uses of violence =
to=20
purportedly restore peace and cohesion&#8230;
<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>A number of French-translated =
Palestinian=20
accounts are seeping through -=20
from&nbsp;persons who have =
repeatedly and=20
long and unambiguously condemned all forms of =
terrorism&nbsp;-&nbsp;of=20
heavy Israelian offensive actions in Ramallah, going obliviously =
unnoticed in=20
these manichean times.=20
Heavy&nbsp;reading and steadily =
growing=20
death tolls.&nbsp;But I guess =
this is=20
coming through many other channels as well.
Fear=20
and loathing in many places. London earlier this week was =
eery;&nbsp;bureaux are=20
being set up by and for&nbsp;victims of racist attacks. I guess you're =
seeing=20
this at close hand, Honor. After recent bouts of racist violence in =
England,=20
post-New York tension makes certain communities increasingly&nbsp;easy =
picking.=20
A friend's friend's nose got busted here the other night. Doesn't help =
to be the=20
wrong colour after hours in certain parts of the town.
<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>Walking back along the Canal de l'Ourcq =
tonight after=20
seeing Tanovic's No Man's&nbsp;Land, winding through the autumn crowds =
playing=20
petanque on the sand stretches not contaminated with dog shit. Chinese, =
Arab,=20
black African, East European... the usual&nbsp;mix for this neck of the =
woods.=20
Kind of a relief to feel&nbsp;it again after&nbsp;uncosmopolitan French=20
provinces, even though getting here meant&nbsp;being holed up last night =

for&nbsp;three hours in a&nbsp;stationary Paris-bound TGV with some kind =
of=20
problems - there's a lot of tension here these days. It was full of =
soldier=20
trainees from the sous-officier training camp at Saint Maixant. Bragging =

drunkenly&nbsp;about everybody being on the move by the end of the year. =

Eastward.&nbsp;On verra bien.
<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>saturday night special, hope everybody's ok, =
hey=20
Andreas, Inke, any way we can find out who we're all talking to these =
days? I=20
really have no idea, 'twould be nice to see who's in this space. can't =
some=20
desperately underemployed virtual majordomo tell me, if it's too much of =
a chore=20
for humans? only problem is that some human's gonna have to explain to =
me what=20
orders to give to that poor bored majordomo...
<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>Kia ora
<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>sjn
<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>&nbsp;
<SPAN=20
class=3D678583718-22092001>&nbsp;
<FONT=20
size=3D2>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
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size=3D2>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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