Dud Bombs in French Department Store

Would-be bombers who called in a threat to Paris police today wanted to attract attention, reports The Guardian, but didn't want to actually hurt anyone. Bombs fitted with sticks of dynamite were located in a Paris department store, but none were found to be armed with detonators. "As far as we know, these were not explosives intended to detonate," said Michèle Alliot-Marie, the French Minister of the Interior. "We are still pursuing our enquiries." The warning came from a previously unknown group, the Afghan Revolutionary Front, which called for withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan by February of next year. French President Nicholas Sarkozy is a staunch supporter of military involvement in Afghanistan. A poll taken yesterday indicated that the majority of French would like to see troops removed following the deaths of ten French soldiers in a Taliban ambush this week, the worst military setback for France in 25 years.