It seems when the dangerous Bush has lost Blair as a European ally, he now has another in Sarkozy.

Whilst Israel can repately violate international laws, bomb neighboroing countries with impunity, ignore numerous UN resolutions on the Palestinain issue and even have a clandestine nuclear programme - it is amazing that Sarkozy and Bush continously threaten to bomb a state that has the legitimate right to have Nuclear technology according the NPT (Non Proliferation Treaty) and still make the laughable claim that Iran is the main source of instability in the Middle East!

Surely it is these very double standards and the actual and continued threats of bombing of another Middle Eastern contry, the actions of Israel in occupied Palestine and the US in Iraq that are more the root causes of the potential conflict of described as "Islam and the West" by some?

Michael Jabir, Leicester, UK

Two somewhat conflicting views. Current militant Islamists are the product of recent Western occupation, recent Western cultural imperialism, the creation of Israel, the Cold War, growing demands for oil, etc. Remove these "causes," the arguement goes, and militant Islam will fade. A countervailing view sees the growth of militant Islam as a revival of the militant Islam that surged into France, to the gates of Vienna, and into Russia, and that the past 300 years or so of Western military dominance is now fading, and the intentions and capabilities of militant Islam are growing and have been growing since Wahhabism surged in the 1770s and the Muslim Brotherhood was born in 1928. This view suggests that the West has done little to produce this resurgence of Islam and that it is a "natural" product of the growth of economic and social power in Muslim countries. Which basic view is correct? I hope the first one is, but I fear the second view may be. Time will tell.

James, Jacksonville, U. S.

With oil money able to pay for missionary activity among disaffected westerners and buy academics members of the ruling political and financial elite; with Muslim immigrant communities able to use their block vote for political influence and apply the threat of intimidatory violence within discreet limits: with the demographic projection of a burgeoning European Muslim population and with the coordination militant minorities can achieve through the internet, and by playing on a submerged anti-semitism, the Islamic world is positioning itself for a bid to dominate Europe. I hope Sarkozy represents a new generation of European politicians who are at least half aware of its ambitions.

wally, cwmbran, UK

Salman's "Jewish Masters" is an example of contemporary anti-semitism. Scratch his surface a bit and you get "Dirty Jews".

mel bernstine, paris, france

Tehran has been fooling the world for quite a long time now .I dont think that we are making war with tehran, but it is tehran that is declaring war via its president with the world.

mike, Port louis, Mauritius

I am not pro or against any particular group or persuasion in the Middle East, as long as they keep it there. Monsieur Chirac's "sanguine view of a multipolar world" is a nice way of putting it; his tenure will be remembered for the limp-wristed way he handled Islamic people (not just extremists) behaving the way they normally do - but in this case, in France. Cars burning - the whole nine yards. Better Pres. Sarkozy and his blunt tongued Mr Kouchner than something altogether less effectual.

Marc, Bloemfontein, RSA

Talking about the 'threat' of Islam vs West and threatening Iran with a war, pleasing the Jewish Masters and then trying to show support for Palestine...the best example of Hypocrisy !

Salman, London, UK

The Koran, like bin-Laden on September 11th, calls
young muslim men to jihad against 'unbelievers,
wherever you find them'. What about these explicit
edicts does the world not understand?
If Iraq or Palestine or oil were what caused Islamic
suicide bombings, then how come these murderers
murder infidels all over the world, not just in countries
supporting the war in Iraq, and not just since the war,
but for decades before it?

Melissa, Knightly, England, UK

Ever since Nicolas Sarkozy put Tariq Ramadan in his place on the live France 2 program in November 2003, it became obvious things in France were bound to change.

The French also realized that there were hardly any Cambodians, Vietnamese or Chinese from the “banlieue difficile” torching cars in the disturbances of two years ago. Finally, it could be that they belatedly discovered Bat Yeor’s “Eurabia”. About time !

Mladen Andrijasevic , Be'er Sheva , Israel

"...Mr Sarkozy believes that the biggest international danger at the moment is the threat of a confrontation between Islam and the West." - is this not already the case? Take a look at world news, there isn´t a day goes by without bombings, conflicts and terrorst acts. The question should be how do we stop this conflict before it gets out of hand?!

stephen, benrath, germany

I like Kouchner and Sarkozy already. Finally someone with the backbone to say it like it is....not gloss over it with political correctness.
Now lets see if they mean what they say. France might actually be looked up to, like the France of old!

m.J., Iowa, U.S.A.

Ah yes, must be that Worldwide Jewish/Zionist/Neocon conspiracy yet again. Can't possibly have anything to do with the fact that cars have been burning in Paris for over a year now, and that people are afraid to walk the streets for fear of being blown up by a Jihadist loon. Wake up you fools! Europe as you know it is already lost. Either give up to Muslim domination completely or start fighting back now.

Sam Green, Tel Aviv, Israel