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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 1 OcTOber 2019

Chirac gets full military honors as France bids him farewell

Associated Press warm man, a man close to
PARIS (AP) — France bid people, smiling and with a
a final adieu to Jacques heart," she said. "We need
Chirac on Monday as the that sometimes."
former French president re- Those assembled took pic-
ceived military honors on a tures, shed tears and held
national day of mourning signs reading "Thank you for
that culminated with a me- saying no to the war in Iraq"
morial service attended by as they watched the flag-
dozens of past and current draped coffin onscreen.
world leaders. Max Mignard, who came to
Cutting a solemn figure, pay his respects, described
French President Emman- Chirac as the "kindest man
uel Macron presided over in politics."
the military ceremony on A private family church
a mild, sunny morning service for Chirac was cel-
near the site of Napoleon's ebrated prior to the military
tomb in the courtyard of tribute and a private buri-
Les Invalides. A military al took place later at the
band played the national Montparnasse cemetery. A
anthem, "La Marseillaise," minute of silence was held
before Macron inspected in schools and public build-
the troops. Chirac's cas- ings across the country on The body of former French president Jacques Chirac is carried to the Saint Sulpice church, Mon-
ket, covered with a Tricolor France's national day of day, Sept. 30, 2019 in Paris.
flag, was then carried to mourning for its former Associated Press
the center of the cobbled leader.
courtyard. Thousands of miles away exploded into riots across had an absolute fantastic lor Gerhard Schröder, who
Macron, who did not from Paris, the French rug- France in 2005. class in all circumstances," enjoyed a close working re-
speak, later attended the by players contesting the Once nicknamed "Super said Nadine Prevost, who lationship with Chirac, was
final service at the Church rugby World Cup in Japan Liar," Chirac saw his popu- was among the Saint-Sul- on the guests' list released
of Saint-Sulpice in down- joined the commemora- larity soar after he left of- pice mourners. "He knew by the Elysee palace but
town Paris alongside fam- tion with a moment of si- fice. Thousands of mourn- how to speak to everyone did not attend the service
ily members, French politi- lence before their training ers paid him tribute Sunday with a simplicity and a at Saint-Sulpice, accord-
cians and foreign officials, session. at Les Invalides, where his grandeur. And that's what ing to a reporter inside the
including Russian President A mainstay of French poli- body lay in state on the eve made for the richness of his church. Macron's press of-
Vladimir Putin, former U.S. tics over four decades, Chi- of the memorial service. contact." fice did not give any rea-
President Bill Clinton and rac served as Paris mayor, "He was a great man who Former German Chancel- son for his absence.q
Jordan's King Abdallah II. a lawmaker, prime minis-
Queen Elizabeth II, 93, did ter and France's president
not travel to the French from 1995 to 2007. The last Russia: Our approval is needed to
capital but sent her con- French head of state to
fice, Chirac died last week publish Trump-Putin calls
dolences to Chirac's family complete two terms in of-
and "the people of France."
Chirac's coffin was driven to at 86.
Saint-Sulpice, where pianist Known for championing MOSCOW (AP) — The Krem- responded that "the pub- focus of a U.S. impeach-
Daniel Barenboim played the nation's sense of its lin said Monday that tran- lication is possible only on ment probe. It showed
a Schubert impromptu, as own grandeur and oppos- scripts of calls between U.S. mutual accord." Trump urging Ukraine to
mourners lined the proces- ing the U.S. invasion of Iraq President Donald Trump "If we receive some signals "look into" his Democratic
sion route to his funeral ser- in 2003, Chirac is being re- and Russian President Vlad- from the U.S., we will con- political rival Joe Biden.The
vice. When the hearse car- membered fondly despite imir Putin can only be pub- sider it," he said in a confer- publication of the call, in
rying Chirac drove by, the political failures and a 2011 lished by mutual agree- ence call with reporters. which the presidents made
crowd broke into applause. corruption conviction from ment. Peskov noted that the "dip- critical comments about
Standing outside of the In- actions during his nearly The White House has se- lomatic practice doesn't German Chancellor Ange-
valides, Nathalie Kabongo, two decades as mayor verely restricted the distri- envisage such publica- la Merkel and French Presi-
whose husband worked of Paris. As president from bution of memos detailing tions," adding that the issue dent Emmanuel Macron,
on Chirac's 1995 and 2002 1995-2007, he was a con- Trump's calls with foreign is U.S. internal business. has hurt Ukraine's efforts to
campaigns, said Chirac summate global diplomat leaders, including Putin. The rough transcript of forge closer ties with the Eu-
reminded her of "a politics but failed to reform the Asked about Congress' Trump's call with Ukrainian ropean Union and drawn
closer to the people." French economy or defuse push for the publication of President Volodymyr Zelen- acerbic comments from
"Apart from being presi- tensions between police Putin-Trump calls, Kremlin skiy, which was released by other Russian officials and
dent, he was a man ... a and minority youths, which spokesman Dmitry Peskov the White House, is now the lawmakers.q