France under High Alert as Terrorists Evade Capture and Another Police Is Killed

"Papa j'ai peur" -- " Daddy, I'm afraid." The words of a young French boy when his father woke him this morning to get ready for school. Later, standing outside the school in the early morning rain, the little boy's father told a French TV reporter that his son was happy to see security police at the doors to his school and that he wasn't afraid anymore. ~~~~~ That is the reality in France the day after the terrorist massacre at Charlie Hebdo. Le Monde morning edition used the entire front page to call the massacre the "11 Septembre Francais," writing that the punch delivered to the French nation was, although very small by comparison, like the punch felt by America on 9/11. At noon today, a minute of silence was held all over France to honor the dead journalists -- the bells of Notre Dame sounded 'le glas,' the deep somber death knell, as a crowd stood outside the cathedral with bowed heads; at the Palais Élysée the entire ministerial team of President Hollande assembled; crowds gathered in the streets and at churches of big cities and small towns; the French National Assembly and Senate sang the Marseillaise; the often tearful silence was observed in offices and stores and schools, in government buildings and police stations, in airports and train stations and even on buses and trains that stopped enroute for the minute -- many people held pencils on their upraised hands because French newspapers began to use the phrase "Murdered for a Pencil" this morning to express their anger and sorrow at the loss of the four beloved journalist-cartoonists and the attack on freedom of expression. There are still many national and regional morning papers in France and the Page 1 messages were all devoted to the Charlie Hebdo attack, with messages such as "Liberté 0 - Barbarie 12" - "La liberté assassinée" - "Nous sommes tous Charlie" (we are all Charlie). Newspaper offices in Paris are under security force protection. The French government has unblocked 500,000 Euros so that a defiantly exceptional 1million copies of Charlie Hebdo can be printed next Wednesday. Charlie Hebdo itself has been named a citizen of honor of the city of Paris, the first time the honor has ever been awarded to an entity instead of a human. President Hollande has declared today a day of national mourning and flags are "en berne" - tied so that they cannot freely fly on the breeze, the French equivalent of half-mast. A "march for the Republic" is planned for Sunday in Paris. All political parties and French Moslems have been invited to participate. ~~~~~ And in the midst of the mourning and determination not to give in to fear or hatred - not one angry word has so far been heard in France about Moslems or Islam, with anger directed only at jihadist terrorists - death struck again this morning. A municipal policewoman was killed and her fellow policeman critically wounded in a burst of fire from a white Renault Clio in Montrouge, a village south of Paris. The Paris anti-terrorist brigade has taken charge of the investigation, although they have not yet confirmed that the brothers killed the policewoman. But, while an apartment in Reims was searched and several people close to the brothers taken into custody for questioning, the two brothers being pursued north of Paris last night escaped capture. And, a Montrouge gas station attendant says he recognized them at his gas station this morning armed with rifles and kalachnikoffs. The car they abandoned yesterday contained black and white jihadist flags and molotov cocktails, as well as the identity card of the older brother. ~~~~~ Dear readers, in Europe, only France has truly welcomed Moslems who now make up 10% of the population - and 20 French imams have come together to rally French Moslems to support the Republic and denounce the terrorists who "dirty the name of our religion." Only France has fought wars in North Africa against terrorists and revolutionaries in Moslem countries. Alone, France has rallied Europe to respond to al-Qaida and ISIS. And, alas, France has the largest number of known nationals going to Iraq to become ISIS adherents. But, France also reputedly has the best special forces and intelligence capability in Europe. So, while we watch and support the French nation in its mourning and shock over the horrendous attack on innocent journalists and police, we should not expect France to be overwhelmed by its grief. As one man at a rally told a reporter today, "We have fought for centuries to win and keep our liberty, and now we see that it is fragile. So we must act." We should also expect that the conservatives in French political life will quietly suggest how and what the reaction should be. Nicolas Sarkozy this morning visited President Hollande at the Élysée palace. He has called a meeting this afternoon of all current and old-hand semi-retired UMP leaders to chart a course for the Sunday march and, we can be sure, to discuss how to influence the socialist government of François Hollande, who is calling for national unity but who seems thus far short on leadership. Sarkozy has already taken charge of the non-government response, calling for a national joining of effort combined with solid investigation and firm official reaction. When Sarkozy was welcomed at the Élysée this morning by President Hollande waiting at the foot of the stairs leading to the entry, it was Sarkozy who went up to the door and turned to offer his hand to Hollande - not the reverse as would have been normal. There is a world of French politics and power in that short scene. (I'll be back later today with an update if there are changes in the situation in France.)