mr. chirac is suffering a relation -- a condition related to alzheimer's and was unable to give evidence during trial. there were many civil plaintiffs and campaigners who were celebrating today, on a victory for justice. >> there is a correction in france. after 30 years, justice is done. so sure rock -- chirac, it was corrected, and maybe it was thanks to this correction -- >> in the country at large however, there is still widespread affection for mr. chirac and many believe the charges should have been dropped. >> many did the same thing and they were not at all punished. >> i think it is sad, because it is a little thing. when you see an older worker of this kind of people. >> the sentence may be lenient, and certainly there were stipple -- stiffer penalties available, but maybe it is a fitting punishment to the former president. is a footnote to a lifetime of -- it is a footnote to a lifetime of service that mr. chirac and his supporters have work to avoid. >> the chinese communist party has lost control of a village in southern china. was started as villagers protesting against co

mr. chirac as a number of other people also facing trial. as the principal author of the crimes committed. we're going to have more on that obviously for you in the course of the bulletin with christian frazier, our paris correspondent, in just a moment or two, so do stay with us for that. formal ceremony is due to get underway very soon indeed to mark the end of military operations in iraq. the flag lowering will draw a line under a wall, which claims the lives of almost 4,500 american soldiers and cost the u.s. around a trillion dollars. earlier, fort bragg in north carolina, president obama welcomed home some of the last troops to return. he admitted that the new iraq was not perfect, but insisted that the country was now stable and self-reliant. steve kingston has this. >> packing up and heading for the exit, the last of the american troops in iraq. today their flag will be ceremonyly lowered. after almost nine years, the mission is over. many iraq veterans were still in school when it all began, but fort bragg in north carolina, service