I give France a lot of guff for several reasons, though I imagine if Jacques Chirac was not the nation’s leader I might have a different opinion. France though has remained fairly tough on their home front in terms of preventing terrorist attacks and prosecuting those who are planning attacks. Needless to say I hope this continues.

Evidence of how France has and continues to combat radical Islam on French soil is abundant, however the latest piece of evidence is the extradition of a radical Islamic cleric to Algeria.

French authorities sent Reda Ameuroud, 35, back to Algeria on a ship from Marseille. The BBC reported the French interior ministry planned to expel 10 more radical Islamists in August.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy had told the daily Le Parisien Friday that a man of Algerian descent who had spoken “heinous words” against France was about to be expelled. Ameuroud is believed to be a member of the radical Salafist movement, the BBC said.

The French crackdown on extremists who advocate violence is a result of the July 7 bombing in London.

Sarkozy said France did not have to tolerate radical preaching that “calls for hate and murder,” even if it is delivered in a place of worship.

“Those who persist in this way will systematically be the object of an expulsion procedure,” he said.

While France may take harsher measures after 7/7, the nation has in the past acted in similar fashion. Personally I’d rather these types of preachers of hate be locked up, but of course there is always a statue of limitations to constrict such imprisonment. This cleric will be on watch lists in many nations now as a result of this extradition which in itself is a good step in combating radical Islam.