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| Europe |
| UK and France hold Iraq talks |
| 2003-04-09 |
| Why? We can tell the French what they can do from this side of the channel. IGNORE THEM!!! UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and France's Dominique de Villepin have attempted to present a united front by agreeing the urgent need for international involvement in rebuilding post-war Iraq. Mr Straw said it looked as though "we may be towards the close of hostilities" with Iraq. Eugh, Jack, how can you do this?! He said the country had to be governed "by the people of Iraq with the support of the coalition and the United Nations international community". He insisted that the UK and France had a "grown up relationship", while accepting that sometimes the two nations "have different Mr de Villepin said a sense of "common values" was shared, adding: "We would like to express our sympathy that France has with the British people. "We still believe they are represented by an oppressive regime." "I would like to reiterate our support for many of the things that Tony Blair has been saying. We have also indicated our hope that the war in Iraq will be finished as soon as possible. Also, we would like to stress the urgency when it comes to the humanitarian effort in the Gulf that we all work together and that the international community plays an important role." The biggest humanitarian job's been done, and you wanted no part of it, so STFU and try to f*** Germany again. Oh, Schroeder's not there any more?! The pair were speaking after a meeting in Paris, which follows talks in Belfast between UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush. France, which is fiercely opposed to "We all hope desperately that the conflict comes to an end," he told reporters. "It looks as though we may be towards the close of hostilities - none of us want the blood of a single individual shed at all in this situation. We want the removal of Saddam Hussein's government and we want, as that is happening the process of reconstruction. Both we and the US wish to see, as quickly as possible, the creation of a representative, democratic Iraqi government, carrying the consent of the Iraqi people responsible, crucially, for its own security... that cannot happen overnight." As US and UK forces were already on the ground in Iraq, "we have to remain there - it's our responsibility to remain there until these other processes are through", he said. "Our primary concern now is to protect the Iraqi people from counterattacks launched by forces allied to Saddam - France, Russia, the UN." Mr Straw said Britain's ties with France were in "friendship, history and culture". "It would be very boring if friends always agreed," he said. Friends fall out when one becomes a complete w***er and tries to stab the other in the back though, don't they? "This is a grown up relationship. Of course we sometimes have different perspectives on issues and so what? What is important is that we work those through in a dialect and we show a higher agreement. Everybody knows there has been some difference of opinions on Iraq, but there is a huge range of issues on the agenda where we are almost exactly in the same place." These are, again? Mr de Villepin said it was "very important" that the international community has "a central role" in reconstructing Iraq. "That needs to come from the United Nations ... It is not a question of a vital role or a central role. I think we would all agree that the United Nations will play a key role." Fine, we'll hire a few UN locksmiths. Mr Straw and Mr de Villepin also spoke of the importance of the Middle East peace process which, along with Iraq and Northern Ireland, was a major focus of President Bush's visit to Belfast. France has major commercial interests in Iraq and under the oil for food programme, it was Iraq's leading supplier of goods. More than a fifth of all Iraqi imports were French sales. Let's let the Iraqis decide how much Chirac's cronies can continue to wring out of their country, eh? |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #11 Jezuz H Keerist: http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk We would like to express our sympathy that France has with the British people. I would like to reiterate our support for many of the things that Tony Blair has been saying. We have also indicated our hope that the war in Iraq will be finished as soon as possible. Also, we would like to stress the urgency when it comes to the humanitarian effort in the Gulf that we all work together and that the international community plays an important role. (Hey - suck a little harder, "Dominique"...) |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-04-10 00:33:04 |
| #10 The UN will have a vital role in cleaning up Iraq after the war-here's your mop and bucket. |
| Posted by: TJ Jackson 2003-04-10 00:14:29 |
| #9 Ah yes, Fred, but that was OLD EUROPE...oh, wait,...damn |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-04-09 21:02:06 |
| #8 You guys aren't educating me -- that's the kind of history I had in mind. But what about friendship and culture? Norman conquest? |
| Posted by: Tom 2003-04-09 19:04:09 |
| #7 Crecy, Poiters and Agincourt. Yes, a long history. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-04-09 15:23:46 |
| #6 Tom, Britain and France have shared much of their history. Look at, f'instance, Waterloo. And Trafalgar. Heh heh. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-04-09 12:32:33 |
| #5 John McCain has said a couple of times now that a great way for France and Germany to start making nice would be to immediately forgive the Iraqi people of their debt. Bring you check books and pull up a chair boys... that will seperate the "Playa's" from the "Faka's" |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2003-04-09 11:57:19 |
| #4 The US is pissed at the French, but we are also a grown up nation. Robert Kagan had an interesting article in todays WaPo - we know Tony has to mend fences in Europe, lets be supportive - we shouldnt try to divide Europe "let the French do that", let the Germans come on board, so their not stuck with the French. The polar points in Europe now are UK and France - but the maneuvering betweeen them will be subtle, not a cold war - Italy and Spain are with UK, but not firmly, Germany is with France, but not firmly and both UK and France have "5th columns". It makes perfect sense for Blair to be publicly conciliatory, while still pushing for different objectives than France - he has to reach out to all the rest of Europe, as well as the wiser heads in France, as well as watch his back. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-09 11:05:58 |
| #3 Mr Straw said Britain's ties with France were in "friendship, history and culture". Well, history anyway. One outta three ain't bad. Good God! How can he say that with a straight face! |
| Posted by: Tom 2003-04-09 11:00:43 |
| #2 Saw a line that summed it up perfectly, now can't remember where. Argh! "They do not even appear to find the continuing silence from Washington ominous." |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-04-09 10:08:25 |
| #1 I say, Dominique, do you comprehend just how seriously pissed the Merkins are? I thought not. |
| Posted by: Matt 2003-04-09 09:56:03 |