France, EU to fight extremism, French FM says in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, January 1, 2008 – French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner
said Tuesday that Europe was determined to fight the kind of extremism that
killed Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
   "She was assassinated by an extremism that we, France and the European
Union, have decided to fight," Kouchner told reporters on his arrival in
Islamabad for a two-day visit, the first by a Western minister since Bhutto’s
murder last week.
   Saying he spoke on behalf of both France and the EU, the French envoy urged
for Pakistan to pursue "the democratic process" even as he speculated Bhutto’s
killing was likely authored by Islamist extremists.
   "It would not be surprising that it was Islamist terrorism since I know
that it makes its bed in the tribal zone" of Pakistan, Kouchner said, replying
to a question.
   Pakistani officials have said Al-Qaeda was behind the killing and rejected
calls for an international investigation.
   Officials have postponed key general elections set for early January
following Bhutto’s death which sparked days of unrest.

AFP