Meanwhile, France simmers

Don't think that because the news cycle is light on France now, that the problem has gone away. Tension is in the air; nothing has been solved: "Bravado and anger in riot suburb".

The wave of arson attacks against cars and schools in impoverished areas of France has subsided for the most part.

But the anger among young people of ethnic minority backgrounds has not died down.

France is facing a festering underclass that is so well "connected", that it may already be too late for French native citizens. The riots are being perpetrated by teenagers; what happens when grown men with more resources carry on the intifada? They're out there, waiting.

The immediate reason they give for the violence is the tough policing policy of France's Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

Have they considered becoming law-abiding people in order to avoid the "tough policing"? Have they considered going back to their countries of origin if they don't like France? There's more:

"We're armed," says Mohamed. "We're well armed and in 2007, if Sarkozy becomes president, we'll have a real war. That's why they didn't want to attack Iraq, because they know if they attack Iraq, there'll be big trouble in France."

There already is big trouble in France.