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| Axis of Weasels: France "No longer an ally" - Richard Perle |
| 2003-02-04 |
| By Martin Walker UPI Chief International Correspondent WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- France is no longer an ally of the United States and the NATO alliance "must develop a strategy to contain our erstwhile ally or we will not be talking about a NATO alliance" the head of the Pentagon's top advisory board said in Washington Tuesday. Calling a spade a spade Richard Perle, a former assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan administration and now chairman of the Pentagon's Policy Advisory Board, condemned French and German policy on Iraq in the strongest terms at a public seminar organized by Iraqi exiles and American Middle East and security officials. But while dismissing Germany's refusal to support military action against Iraq as an aberration by "a discredited chancellor," Perle warned that France's attitude was both more dangerous and more serious. Two for one insults - I like it! "France is no longer the ally it once was," Perle said. And he went on to accuse French President Jacques Chirac of believing "deep in his soul that Saddam Hussein is preferable to any likely successor." At least to Acquitane - Elf? French leaders have insisted the country will oppose any military action against Iraq without a second resolution by the United Nations Security Council, where it holds one of five crucial veto powers. Last November France did vote for Resolution 1441, which promised "serious consequences" if Iraq did not cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors verifying that Iraq has indeed dismantled its programs for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. "I have long thought that there were forces in France intent on reducing the American role in the world. That is more troubling than the stance of a German chancellor, who has been largely rejected by his own people," Perle said, referring to the sharp electoral defeat suffered by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's party in state elections Sunday. Although he is not an official of the Bush administration, Perle's position as the Pentagon's senior civilian adviser gives his harsh remarks a quasi-official character and reflects the growing frustration in the White House and Pentagon with the French and German reluctance to support their U.S. and British allies. "Very considerable damage has already been done to the Atlantic community, including NATO, by Germany and France," Perle said. "But in the German case, the behavior of the Chancellor is idiosyncratic. He tried again to incite pacifism, and this time failed in Sunday's elections in Hesse and Lower Saxony. His capacity to do damage is now constrained. Chancellor Schroeder is now in a box, and the Germans will recover their equilibrium." Perle went on to question whether the United States should ever again seek the endorsement of the U.N. Security Council on a major issue of policy, stressing that "Iraq is going to be liberated, by the United States and whoever wants to join us, whether we get the approbation of the U.N. or any other institution." "It is now reasonable to ask whether the United States should now or on any other occasion subordinate vital national interests to a show of hands by nations who do not share our interests," he added. |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #6 i think this is more along the lines of things Perle wishes for but might not be so. LEts face it Perle and others WANT the French to block us at the UN, precisely BECAUSE that would discredit the UN. If Powell (presumably following the Baker strategy) wins and the UNSC approves a second res. we've still get the UN and France around to "trouble" us on future issues. The UN apparently has figured this out, why Blix has been sounding tough recently. France has to decide if imposing costs on the US by making the US go "unlateral" is worth the damage to the UNSC and to "multilateralism" The French strategic dilema is thus the photo negative of the US dilemma - is the cost of unilateral action worth it to be "liberated" from the UN and multilateralism??? |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-02-05 08:17:07 |
| #5 I think this is in the category of "Things we wish we could say outloud" for our government. Applying pressure to France without our government actually being involved. Deniability and all that. I agree that what happens next will reveal whether this was a sanctioned hit or Perle was freelancing. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-02-05 07:29:25 |
| #4 Do you guys think that this is a good cop-bad cop deal? Didn't he put out the "public" power point briefing on Saudi Arabia recently. He said publicly what everyone was thinking, I recall. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-02-04 20:42:02 |
| #3 good point Ptah, but I would note that we're not talking some "unidentified senior official©", Perle is named, has patrons, and influence. Being an outsider, he can be plausibly denied if there's true firestorm, yet I see this as a administration position "balloon", and those in Foggy Bottom will be graded on how they apply it IMHAO |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-02-04 18:59:17 |
| #2 A delicious bit of oratory, but it'll just remain that until the State Department gets behind it. Not that Powell won't be tempted, but State is the biggest unpaid Euro-lobby the Euros have in the United States. Very likely, there will be a firestorm, during which State will make its opinion known, IF they bother to speak at all. If nothing comes out of FoggyBottom, then the fix is in and the skids are greased for an Olympic class exit. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-02-04 17:22:16 |
| #1 The cheese-eating surrender monkeys have been throwing too much feces lately. Monkeys can be cute pets when they're young but at some point they've got to be taken off the leash and sent to a zoo for retirement... |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2003-02-04 15:57:06 |