"the judge relied on a two-year old letter from former French President, Jacques Chirac, that did not refer to the Al Durah incident at all, but simply complimented Enderlin as a journalist."
-- from this article, one of the first of a hundred appalling details in the piece, of which even those who realized early on that the Al-Durah "atrocity" was staged, have until now likely been not fully aware.

Tiens.

Yes, that should do it, that should absolve the French television or Charles Enderlin from having to produce their 27 minutes of tape. A letter, forsooth, from Monsieur le President, Jacques Chirac, he who received that jewel-encrusted falcon (see "Cahiers du Cinema, or, Pardon the French" for more) from Arab admirers decades ago, he who used to have those private meetings with Hariri, who would arrive with a briefcase the contents of which were never disclosed, he who used to require the simultaneous services, so it was said, not of one, not of two, but of three -- count them, three -- poules de luxe, whose ministrations must have cost him, Jacques Chirac, a pretty penny, and who can best supply those pretty pennies nowadays, if not les Arabes qui l'admirent?

Yes, a letter from Jacques Chirac. About what a good journalist Charles Enderlin has been. We began with a "tiens" and we ought, in a cherchez-le-fric mode or mood, to conclude by ringing a slight change on that opening bell to make it a closing knell: Tout se tient.