国际英语新闻：Violence tests Sarkozy gov't security policy

PARIS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Recent unrest and violent riots against police forces hang a question mark on France's security system and triggered calls for a new strategy to fight against violence.

Calm was broken last week in Grenoble outskirts in southeastern France when one young raider on charges of armed robbery was killed in clashes with police.

Twenty men were in custody after about 80 cars were torched and several stores were burned up to revenge the death of the 27-year- old robber.

Chaos erupted also in the Cher-et-Loire region in central France where "traveling people" caused damage to city infrastructures in Saint-Aignan protesting the death of a 22-year- old man, who charged road checkpoint and was shot by police.

France's President Sarkozy (L), seen in this video grab from France2 Television, appears during a prime time news interview with journalist David Pujadas on France2 television in the garden of the Elysee Palace in Paris July 12, 2010

New prefect in the region of disturbance and declaration of a tough war against crimes and violence represent two pillar factors of France's strategy to put an end to insecurity in neglected and poor districts where violent riots are common.

"The government is conducting a relentless fight against crimes. It's a real war that we will deliver to traffickers and criminals. The rule of law must be respected throughout the national territory," President Nicolas Sarkozy stressed.

In 2005, weeks of violence swept across France's neglected outskirts, sparked by the death of two youths who were electrocuted when they entered an electricity installation as they ran away from police

"How many tens of times have we heard: zero tolerance now, no more millimeter of the territory abandoned, no more unregulated area and every day, evidence on the ground showed the contrary," Francois Bayrou, head of MoDem party said in remarks to France Inter, a local radio channel.

"This means that security policy is not in the right direction and that therefore must be changed," he added.