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Yorktown

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13. With all due respect, I must correct some point in the OP and answers

Sun Nov 15, 2015, 12:40 AM

Nov 2015

1- the GIGN is technically not police (even if gendarmes are a close equivalent to police officers). As stated in the OP, the second G in GIGN stand for Gendarmerie, which is, by a remnant of French Revolution times, a body of military status (their budget being part of the military budget appropriation).

2- the police equivalent is the GIPN (P for police replacing the G for gendarmerie)
there are other local SWAT teams which also belong to other police branches.

3- the guys you see with machine guns at airports or at transport hubs can be either police or -in days of increased alert status- Army. But they wouldn't be either GIGN or GIPN which are elite units that are not used for routine security.

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The worst mistake the terrorists in Paris made: Hitting France in the first place [View all] jmowreader Nov 2015 OP

not anymore ->"it is, without question, the finest and most effective antiterrorism group msongs Nov 2015 #1

Not sure why you come to that conclusion. NutmegYankee Nov 2015 #5

Might those be the no-nonsense types in uniforms hifiguy Nov 2015 #2

Yup. Same guys. jmowreader Nov 2015 #3

I just reposted it in full hifiguy Nov 2015 #4

You know we are going to need a link, right? awoke_in_2003 Nov 2015 #6

Google democratic underground: polar bear reindeer hifiguy Nov 2015 #9

Cool, thanks. nt awoke_in_2003 Nov 2015 #11

I saw a group of them when I was in Paris last year, took a pic. Avalux Nov 2015 #7

I said that same thing earlier. davsand Nov 2015 #8

Well I hope these 'interrogation methods' are lawful philosslayer Nov 2015 #14

Apart from the US and in a very limited sense the IDF alcibiades_mystery Nov 2015 #10

This reporter spent a year with GIGN Ex Lurker Nov 2015 #12

That's friggin' awesome. lovemydog Nov 2015 #15

With all due respect, I must correct some point in the OP and answers Yorktown Nov 2015 #13