A French judge has sentenced 25 Muslim would-be terrorists to prison terms after they were convicted in connection with a conspiracy to bomb landmark sites, including the Russian Embassy and the Eiffel Tower.

Five ringleaders were jailed for between eight and ten years each. Twenty people who played lesser roles in the conspiracy received shorter sentences, some of which were suspended. Two defendants were acquitted.
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The court convicted 24 defendants of criminal association in relation with a terrorist enterprise, a broad charge used by France to sweep wide in bringing terror suspects to justice. One other was convicted of using false papers.

Those convicted were part of an international jihadist network working to support Islamic separatists fighting in the Russian province of Chechnya.

Today's sentences stem from events that occurred in 2002, and have generated little controversy in France.  In Britain, by contrast, there has been much public hand-wringing debate over the extent to which security and civil rights may be brought into conflict by anti-terrorist operations.  The French take a tougher approach to public security than do the British, reports Charles Bremner, Paris correspondent for The Times of London.

There is a big difference between the French and British policy and approach to terrorism. The DST, the equivalent to MI5 as well as the police intelligence, keep a very close watch on the housing estates where the majority of the Muslim population live.

"Until last summer the French were very unhappy with what they saw was incompetence by the British. The French thought the British were far too lax towards radical Muslim activities on their territory.
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"Among the French public there is not the same level of popular concern over terrorism in France as there is in Britain. House raids happen very often and do not get the same media coverage that is heaped on them in the UK.

The contrast between French convictions and British apologies over the fruitless raid on an east London residence will only reinforce the low view that French authorities have of British law enforcement.