| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| France Insists It Wants U.S. to Win War |
| 2003-03-28 |
| Edited. France's government angrily insisted on Friday that it hopes U.S.-led forces win the war in Iraq, signaling fear in Paris that its image as an untrustworthy friend could seriously damage long-term relations with Washington. Do you have to hit these people in the head with a hammer before they finally get it? In an extraordinary statement for a major U.S. ally, the Foreign Ministry said it was "indignant" at media suggestions that French support for the United States was ambiguous, and quoted Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin as saying he hoped for a U.S. victory. "I will remind you that the minister said on March 24 ... 'The United States, we hope, will win this war quickly," ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said in the statement. When did he say this? In his sleep? The ministry was protesting media coverage of Villepin's comments on Wednesday at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, where he reiterated his high-profile opposition to the war. The statement did not specify which publications it was referring to, but at least two English-language newspapers reported that Villepin refused to say explicitly who he hoped would win the war. "It is not acceptable that the positions of France be distorted in this way," Rivasseau said, declaring that France's stand on who should win the war was "totally devoid of ambiguity." Villepin began his speech in London by calling for "a renewed close and trusting friendship with the United States." But later, he said U.S. policy risks leading to instability and uncertainty. When a reporter asked him after the speech if he wanted the U.S.-led forces to win the war, he did not say "yes." Instead, he refused to answer, admonished reporters for not listening carefully and referred them to earlier remarks. "Stoopaid, rayportairs! How dair you question my raymarks!" Villepin's speech made no clear statement about which side he wanted to win. The Foreign Ministry on Friday said he was referring to statements he had made in the past, including the one on March 24. The French are particularly troubled about mounting calls in the United States for a boycott of French products. A U.S.-based Internet site this week published an advertisement in The New York Times urging consumers not to fly Air France, eat Yoplait yogurt or buy other French goods.While the boycott itself has not yet become threatening, the possibility of a fraying of U.S.-France economic ties and cooperation in the long-term is troubling to many. "Once the crisis is past, one could think that French companies ... could be left out of contract bids," the national newspaper Le Figaro said in an editorial Friday. "That's what French leaders are the most worried about." Well, no shit. You people catch on fast... While French officials have been more outspoken recently about the importance of ties with Washington, they haven't backpedalled in their condemnation of the war. Just last week, French President Jacques Chirac said France would veto any U.N. resolution letting "the belligerents" run Iraq after the war. And Villepin is going on a tour of European capitals next week — Berlin, Moscow, Rome and Madrid — to discuss Iraq. Maybe zere's steel a chonce to screw ze Americains!!! Still, France's ambassador to Britain, Gerard Errera, suggested that Paris' faithfulness to the United States should be above question. "It's clear where France stands. To question France's position on this issue is ludicrous. I don't know what the agenda is of this," he said. "The fact that this question was asked is really unthinkable." Notice that...he really doesn't answer the question. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #8 US airlines have hundreds of jets on order from Airbus. These companies are threatening to come groveling to the people of the US for a bail out. Perhaps a brief letter to our federal representatives on the use of tax dollars to fund the Franco-German Airbus is in order. |
| Posted by: Woodland Critter 2003-03-28 21:04:51 |
| #7 Note that Villepin's statement 'The United States, we hope, will win this war quickly,' may have lost something in translation, but the English statement doesn't necessarily say he hopes the US will win. He could just have easily have meant, 'SINCE the Americans are going to win, I hope they do it quickly.' Quite a different meaning than the one he's implying. Fact is that Chiraq and company deliberately lied to Powell regarding 1441 (a resolution written mostly to their specifications), suckered us (US and Britain) into pursuing a UN imprimatur they had every intention of sabotaging, then went OUT OF THEIR WAY to torpedo the 'good' ship Security Council, and Turkey, and NATO -- and threatened the East Europeans as well. This will not soon be forgotten, and I can't see US or Brit (or East European) diplomats trusting French assurances ever again. A US defense contractor would have to be crazy to subcontract to a French firm after this -- can't rely upon them as a supplier, nor count on their exports not being embargoed (let alone being sabotaged in the French factory) in the future. Oh, well. Their perfidy is its own punishment. alone among the permanent members, their only value in the 21st century is the nuisance value of their UNSC veto. By weakening the credibility of the Security Council, they've weakened themselves most of all! |
| Posted by: Thane of Glamis 2003-03-28 16:40:07 |
| #6 The French detente with the Jihadistas will be shortlived - nobody likes a friend that turns on a dime like that.Congratulations - appeasement still doesn't work! |
| Posted by: El Id 2003-03-28 14:32:05 |
| #5 "... Foreign Ministry said it was "indignant" at media suggestions that French support for the United States was ambiguous ..." Hasn't been ambiguous that I can see. Absent, yes, ambiguous no. "... Chirac said France would veto any U.N. resolution letting "the belligerents" run Iraq after the war ... Errera suggested that Paris' faithfulness to the United States should be above question." Hmm. Nope. No ambiguity there, no contradictions, it's clearly open support for the US. How silly of us to perceive otherwise! |
| Posted by: Tadderly 2003-03-28 13:26:22 |
| #4 *blinks* Old Patriot, I'd have thought it was in between Tierra del fuego and the McMurdo Ross Ice Shelf. Interesting. Based on the time stamps, this came out within the same hour as the report of Jack Kingston's "No French Food" congressional letter hit the BBC. Coincidence? *sighs* Nahhhh |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-03-28 12:46:00 |
| #3 Dear France: Only your silence can save you now. Shhhhhh. Important people have work to do, and we're damn tired of your asinine doublespeak. DeVillprick deserves to bleed and surely shall burn. |
| Posted by: defscribe 2003-03-28 12:45:21 |
| #2 Monsieur Errera (who despite his name, promises not to err in the future) wants to know what the agenda is... Saddam's, or Chirac's? both the same, it seems. In Chrac's immortal words: "love of the Iraqi people". Oh, you mean the agenda of the Coalition that is currently liberating Iraq despite all the French-made obstacles and treachery? here is the agenda: to fight terrorism and those who support it -- as well as to tell the truth about French treachery, and make sure your country pays for it. Clear? Now leave us alone. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2003-03-28 12:11:21 |
| #1 US airlines have hundreds of jets on order from Airbus. These companies are threatening to come groveling to the people of the US for a bail out. Perhaps a brief letter to our federal representatives on the use of tax dollars to fund the Franco-German Airbus is in order. |
| Posted by: Woodland Critter 3/28/2003 9:04:51 PM |